


The sword and the magician

by brooklyn_724



Series: The ward of darkness series [1]
Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-06-09 22:21:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 79,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6925858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brooklyn_724/pseuds/brooklyn_724
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in medieval Europe - Alec Lightwood is the Prince of New Yorkshire and is arranged to marry the Princess of Idris, Lydia Branwell. At an alliance and treaty celebration, a young magician, Magnus Bane, startles Alec and changes the way the young Prince acts, feels and thinks. Threatened by war, Alec and his step brother Jace, sister Isabelle and Magnus Bane follow a young assassin who claims to know how to defeat King Valentine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Special Guest

Alec had never really enjoyed celebrations that involved political allies gathering together to discuss war. They never really made sense to him considering that war shouldn’t be celebrated. Especially not at a gathering that involved dancing and festivities. But as a Prince and a future King, he knew that political alliances and war was something he was going to have to take part in one day. As he stood on the King’s veranda, staring out at the many guests who were arriving for the night’s festivities, he couldn’t help but think of the political arrangement his parents had arranged for him. Because he was of age and unmarried, Alec’s role as the future king meant that by this evening, he needed to have a respectable fiancé. His parents had both agreed that Princess Lydia from Idris was the most suitable match for him. He did not agree. But his word meant nothing when his parents had already decided. The Princess Lydia was to be his future wife, and the future Queen.   
“Don’t look so glum” said an unmistakably familiar voice from behind him. “You should be practicing your dashing smile and an interested nod of the head.”  
Alec turned around slowly to lock eyes with his step brother, Jace. When Jace was ten years old, his father, one of King Robert’s closest friends, died during a terrible battle. Both the King and Queen had agreed to adopt Jace and raise him as their own. Seven years later, and Alec considered Jace as much of a brother as he considered the Princess Isabelle his sister and the Prince Maxwell his brother.   
“I don’t need any practice” Alec said with a small smile. “I’ve had enough boring conversations with you to know how to fake a smile and an interested nod.”  
“Harsh one today” Jace noted with an amused smirk. “What’s gotten you so bitter? Is it because I jumped on your bed this morning? Because I told you I was just trying to get the mice out.”  
Alec rolled his eyes and shook his head in order to keep his lips from curling into a smile. Jace had a way of making Alec smile the way nobody else could. His relationship with Jace was a strange one. Jace wasn’t a prince, he was a nobleman. But they were like brothers — which made Alec want to gag when he was reminded of his past crush on him.   
“I’m just nervous for tonight, that’s all” Alec explained, folding his arms over his chest as if to shield himself from what ever smart remark Jace was about to make.   
“Why?” Jace asked. “It’s going to be so much fun! I mean, the entertainment, the women…dream come true! Not to mention the alcohol.”  
“You’re under age” Alec pointed out.  
“Oh who cares!” Jace exclaimed. “I’ll be Eighteen in a couple of week! Besides, it’s not like Mother and Father are going to care.”  
Alec rolled his eyes again — which he found himself doing often whenever he was talking to Jace. Before Jace could comment on the amount of attitude Alec was giving him, the sound of heels clicking against the concrete caught both of their attention. The Princess Isabelle entered the room with a beautiful smile that lit up her face. She was already dressed and prepared for the evening’s celebrations. Her white and gold gown reminded Alec of the sort of dress his future bride would have to wear some day.  
“Hello boys” she greeted, smirking at the way they were both looking at her. “Guess who father invited to join us this evening for the entertainment.”  
“Uncle Gary?” Jace asked, raising an eyebrow.  
Isabelle rolled her eyes at him before smiling an excited smile. “He invited the magician from Brooklyn Grove…you know…the one everyone’s been talking about!”.  
“Oh yeah” Jace said, exchanging an excited smile with his step sister. “What’s his name again? Uh, is it, uh, Magnus Bane? Yeah Magnus Bane! Thats it!”.  
Alec glanced in between his siblings in confusion, not quite sure what was so exciting about some magician. He’d never even heard of the guy — yet alone why it would be so exciting to have him at tonights festivities.   
“Have you never heard of him, Alec?” Isabelle asked, noticing Alec’s confusion.  
“No I haven’t” Alec admitted.  
“That’s no surprise” Jace said teasingly. “The Kid doesn’t interact with society.”  
“No you’re right” Alec said, narrowing his eyes. “I’m too busy learning to be King rather than to be excited over some magician who by the way, is probably a fraud.”  
“Who cares?” Isabelle asked. “It’s magic! Besides, Magnus Bane is hilarious. One time, he turned a beautiful young rich girl into an old hag because she was bullying a peasant.”  
“Thats not even possible” Alec pointed out, dismissing his sister’s excitement.  
“You just don’t want to admit that there is a force out there greater than us” Isabelle said, crossing her arms stubbornly over her chest. “Father invited him tonight to entertain the guests. I hope he turns you into a cow in order to convince you that he’s a talented magician.”  
Jace snorted — which only earned him an unhappy glare from Alec.  
“Oh, that reminds me” Isabelle turned to Jace and yanked him by the arm. “Sir Hodge said that you owed him a new sword. He wants it now so I suggest you hurry up.”  
Without any prompting, both Jace and Isabelle left the room, bickering about what Hodge said Jace owed him and what Jace had actually owed him. Returning to his doubtful thoughts, Alec looked down at his kingdom and took a long deep breath. He really wasn’t looking forward to the night’s celebrations.

**

The King and Queen sat on their thrones, looking down at the lined up guests with pride and confidence. Beside the King, stood Alec, doing his best not to slouch or cough or clear his throat. He had to behave like a Prince, which most of the time, meant being ridiculously uncomfortable. Standing on the other side of him was Jace. The blonde boy wasn’t as respected as everyone else in the family, but he remained diligent and respectful as he stood beside the future King. Beside the Queen stood the Princess Isabelle, smiling confidently as she locked eyes with almost every noble man in the room. Beside her, stood the young Prince Max, clearly trying to look taller than he actually was. With everyone lined up, guests were invited to greet the royal family one by one. This was Alec’s least favourite part. Shaking hands and forcing smiles, the whole family was bombarded with snot nosed royals with sweaty palms. Alec’s eyes often drifted else where, but a nudge from his father brought him back to reality. The Princess Lydia was the next to approach him. With long blonde hair platted behind her back and a smile made of gold, she curtsied in front of him, careful not to tople over her long purple gown. Alec took her hand gently in his and pressed his lips lightly against her knuckles.  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lord” Lydia smiled.  
He let go of her hand slowly, forcing a gentle smile. “Pleasures all mine, my lady.”  
She bowed her head one last time before following her parents towards the tables and chairs scattered around the hall. Alec’s eyes trailed after her, trying to turn her beauty into attraction. But the attraction wasn’t there.  
Once the greetings all passed, the royal family could finally return to their own tables. The King and Queen sat beside each other with a guest on either side of them. Jace and Prince Max sat together on the Queen’s side of the table while Prince Alec and Princess Isabelle sat together on the King’s side of the table. With cheerful music flowing through the room and excited chatter arising from the guests, Alec couldn’t have felt more uncomfortable. To his relief, however, a young servant with the right idea poured him a glass of wine.   
“What’s Princess Lydia like?” Isabelle asked once she was finished flirting with a nobleman from across the room. “Is she nice, or stuck up?”.  
Alec shrugged. “She seems sweet. Very…pretty.”  
“Since when do you call girls pretty?” Isabelle asked with a chuckle. “You always say that they use their beauty for evil.”  
“Do I?” Alec asked, raising his glad of wine to his lips. “I always thought I was only referring to you.”  
Isabelle nudged him in the ribs, hard, before turning around to make conversation with the King’s guest, Sir Anthony of Idris. Alec rolled his eyes and beckoned for his servant to refill his glass of wine. From across the room, he locked eyes with Lydia. She was making conversation with her brother, Hedrick, the future King of Idris. The future King looked almost similar to Lydia, only with a different shade of blonde hair. Their good looks must of ran in the family. Alec shook the thought out of his head and took another long sip of wine. The music stopped suddenly and the Queen stood up, an empty glass and a fork in her hand. The chatter in the room ceased and all attention turned to the Queen.   
“My people” she said, her voice loud and clear all across the room. “I’d like to thank you all for joining us here in New Yorkshire tonight to discuss and celebrate political agreements. But most of all, I’d like to showcase some of the greatest entertainment the King and I have searched for from across the land!”.  
A few people among the guests began to murmur amongst themselves. Isabelle turned back around to Alec and smiled her wicked smile.  
“So the entertainment begins” she whispered.  
Alec leaned back in his chair and frowned.  
“Tonight, I present to you, Nicholas Nightshade! Best Oprah singer in the kingdom!” the Queen announced.  
A middle aged man with thin strands of grey hair entered the hall. Alec immediately recognised the man from one of the taverns in the streets of New Yorkshire. He was just a peasant. But tonight, he wore the clothes of a nobleman. Alec had no doubt that most of the guests in the room would just assume that Nicholas Nightshade was a regular nobleman. When the man started singing, everyone in the room was instantly captivated. Except maybe Alec, Jace and the King who really didn’t enjoy Oprah. Alec exchanged bored glances with Jace from across the table, careful not to let their mother catch them. Isabelle leaned forward in her chair, smiling widely as Nicholas’ voice grew higher and more intense. The performance lasted just over six minutes before the crowd erupted with cheers and applause. Alec clapped for the singer out of respect and duty, but unlike Isabelle, he wasn’t going to cheer ridiculously.   
“He’s so talented” Isabelle murmured in awe as she sat back in her chair.  
“At what? Making my ears sting?” Alec asked.  
Isabelle nudged him in the ribs again, snickering as Alec squirmed. The Queen, smiling brightly from Nicholas’ performance, stood up again, automatically gaining every pair of eyes in the room.  
“The next performer will make you all question what is real…and what is not” she announced. “The next performer will make you cling to your jewellery and count your money. He’s a magician from Brooklyn Grove! May I present to you, Magnus Bane!”.  
A young man wearing a golden cloak over regular peasantry clothing entered the room, bowing and waving as the crowd applauded. Isabelle clapped excitedly, leaning towards Alec so that her lips were to his ear.  
“This is the magician I was talking about” she whispered. “You’ll love him!”.  
Alec’s eyes rested on the over-confident magician for a moment, sitting up in his chair as he did so. Magnus Bane was performing some kind of dance move as he pulled out different materials from the brown top hat in his hands. The magician looked up into the crowd and held out two different animals; a white dove and a black cat. The whole crowd leaned forward in their chairs, even Alec who was instantly intrigued. Magnus clicked his fingers and the dove flew up into the air, twirling around several times before it turned into the black cat that remained in Magnus’ arms. The whole crowd gasped and applauded, causing Magnus to bow. When the magician scanned the crowd, his cat-like eyes met Alec’s from across the room. Magnus had never seen any of the royal children before. He’d seen the King and Queen, too many times to count. And he’d heard of Prince Alexander, however, he’d never actually caught sight of him. The Prince Alec was quite a sight for sore eyes. His dark hair and dark features made Magnus instantly feel a tightening in his chest. Alec, noticing the magician’s eyes on him, blushed furiously and looked down to fixate his gaze on his empty glass of wine. The crowd’s cheers brought Magnus back to life and he immediately moved on to his next trick, dedicating this one to the handsome Prince. Two heavy Jewels hung from his neck, without beckoning them, they moved themselves into his palm. The crowd gasped again. Magnus murmured a few words under his breath and smiled as the two Jewels mounted together to create a luxurious red rose. Isabelle squealed and applauded loudly, clearly excited by the appearance of a red rose. Alec raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing, her excitement over a magician’s trickery was beyond him. Magnus, noticing the Princesse’s excitement, wandered over, causing a few guards to ready their swords. The King waved a hand at them to stop them, his eyes fixated on the approaching magician. Magnus bowed his head in front of Isabelle’s table, raising his eyes only to glance sideways at the stunned Prince. He held out the rose to Isabelle and gave her a dashing smile.  
“For you, my fair lady” he said charmingly.  
His voice was light and playful, reminding Alec of the many troublemaking thieves from the lower town. Isabelle reached out to take the rose, unable to keep herself from smiling.  
“Thank you” she said with a giggle. “I will treasure this forever.”  
“Of course you will” Magnus smiled, risking one last glance in Alec’s direction.  
The Prince’s eyes were bright and curious as they stared back into Magnus’. There was also something darkening about them — something that made Magnus want to delight himself with the Prince’s company.  
But with a crowd awaiting him, he bowed at the Princess one last time, and returned to his place in the centre of the room.  
“Isn’t he great?” Isabelle asked, turning to Alec with the rose twirling in her hands. “I like him.”  
“He’s a trickster” Alec pointed out, trying to distract himself from the Magician’s dangerously handsome good looks. “I don’t really think trickster’s are great.”  
“Magician” Isabelle corrected. “And you’re just jealous.”  
“Jealous?” Alec raised his eyebrows.  
“Jealous” Isabelle confirmed.  
“I couldn’t care less about a rose” Alec pointed out. “Only women get weak kneed over a rose.”  
“That’s not what I meant” Isabelle said as she raised her glass of water to her lips.  
Before Alec could question her, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause as Magnus performed another amazing trick.


	2. Attack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if anyone really enjoys this fic or not but I've had some great ideas for it so I'm continuing anyway haha. Here's chapter two :')

When all the performances were over, the room parted into seperate groups. Royal leaders and nobleman gathered together around the King’s table, discussing political alliances and war tactics against the King Valentine who threatens the safety of all Kingdoms. The Queen engaged in many conversations with royal ladies, inviting Isabelle to join her so that she wasn’t forced to deal with middle-aged men with sweaty hands. Jace was already flirting with at least twelve different women, while also taking care of Prince Max who looked just as bored as Alec felt. Before the room separated, the Queen had instructed Alec to join Princess Lydia’s table. Prince Hedrick and his wife Princess Elena had joined their parents across the room, discussing alliances with the King. This left Lydia and Alec alone together, with Lydia staring awkwardly at her bracelets and Alec drinking a little too much alcohol. 

“So…” Lydia started, trying to make conversation. “What did you think about the entertainment?”.

Most of the entertainment had consisted of Oprah singers, dancers and swordsman duelling. The only source of entertainment that had actually entertained Alec was the Magician. Even if he hated to admit it. 

“I can’t stand Oprah” Alec admitted, unashamed of his confession due to the alcohol in his system. “It uh, burns my ears.”

Lydia let out a quiet laugh. “I can’t stand it either. Everyone I know loves it but…it’s not really my thing.”

“Really?” Alec asked her, surprised. “Thank the Lord there is someone like me. Although, my father doesn’t like it either. Neither does Jace, actually.”

“So why have a dozen Oprah singers?” Lydia asked.

Alec glanced over towards his mother who was laughing alongside Lydia’s mother, the Queen of Idris. 

“My mother loves it” he explained. “My father just does what ever makes my mother happy. True love I guess.”

Lydia laughed quietly and relaxed a little in her chair. She’d felt a little uncomfortable before, sitting next to a handsome Prince she barely knew. But now, once conversation was bubbling, she felt more at home.

“I thought the magician was entertaining” Lydia said. “I’m sure Isabelle was excited to receive a rose.”

Alec took another sip of wine at the mention of Magnus. Lydia watched him curiously, waiting politely for his response. When Alec had managed to compose himself and forget about the shakiness in his bones, he forced a laugh and nodded convincingly.

“My father wanted to figure out how to turn it back to jewels so he could sell it” he laughed. “But I’m pretty sure Izzy cares more about the rose than the money my father could make.”

“Roses are very pretty” Lydia said with a smile. “They are my favourite flower.”

“Really?” Alec asked. “I think a rose would look delightful on you.”

Lydia blushed and glanced down at the table, unable to keep the smile off her face. Despite the fact that he was drunk, he still knew how to complement a lady. He wasn’t as talented at it as Jace was, but all he really needed to do was smile. Prince Hedrick returned to the table with his wife and invited Lydia to join them at the gambling tables. When she accepted, she’d invited Alec to come along with them. But Alec waved her off with a small smile and told her he felt a little unwell. Alone, he stood up from his uncomfortable chair and wobbled over towards his mother who had returned to her table.

“Alec?” she asked with concern. “How did everything go with Lydia?”.

“Fantastic” he lied. “May I retire? My head is pounding and my throat stings.”

Isabelle who was sitting beside the Queen snorted. “You’re drunk. Mother, he’s drunk. This is an outrage.”

Both Alec and Maryse rolled their eyes at Isabelle. The Queen took hold of Alec’s hand and leaned forward in her chair.

“You may retire” she whispered. “I’ll inform everyone that you’re feeling unwell. But Alec, you go straight back into your room. Do you understand?”.

Alec bowed his head. “Yes, mother.”

Without further instruction, Alec wobbled out of the room, earning himself some confused stares. He’d made it out into the hallways without falling over, but as soon as he approached the staircase, he toppled over and tripped down the stairs. With pain racing up and down his spine and blood trailing from his elbows, he let out a quiet cry for help. There were no guards around, which started to worry Alec. But he wasn’t alone and in pain for long. A tall, slim figure wearing familiar peasantry clothing kneeled down beside him. A pair of cat-like eyes met his and Alec almost groaned with disbelief. Of all people to find him like this, it had to be the handsome magician.

“Are you okay, my lord?” Magnus asked, real concern evident in his worried tone.

Alec tried to sit up, but pain shot through him like a sharp blade. Magnus’ long slender hands rested just above Alec’s collar bone on either side of him, pulling him up slowly so that he could lean against the brick wall.

“Thank you” Alec breathed as he smashed his head against the wall in relief.

Magnus raised an eyebrow and sat down across from him at the bottom of the staircase. “Are you drunk, my lord? Or do you normally fall down the stairs?”.

“I believe I’ve had a little too much to drink” Alec admitted, avoiding eye contact with the magician.

“I’m Magnus Bane” Magnus said, holding out his hand. “I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced.”

Alec stared at Magnus’ outstretched hand for a long moment, studying the many rings that decorated his fingers. Realising he was staring for too long, he averted his gaze and shook the magician’s hand quickly.

“Alec Lightwood” he murmured.

“Alec?” Magnus asked. “Short for Alexander I presume?”.

Alec nodded. Footsteps from the staircase above interrupted their useless conversation and Alec stiffened. Magnus inclined his head upwards so that he could see who would be toppling down the stairs next. To Alec’s relief, it was just a guard. The guard stopped on the third last step on the staircase and glanced from the Prince to the magician with clear confusion.

“Ah, finally” said Magnus, speaking before Alec could explain. “The Prince is a little drunk and took a topple down the stairs. I’ve been calling for guards but none have answered my call. Except you.”

The guard rushed to Alec’s side, which slightly annoyed the prince since he was fine and the pain had long ago ceased. Magnus watched with some amusement as the guard picked and poked at Alec until he was satisfied that the prince was not going to die. 

“Are you well enough to walk, my lord?” the guard asked.

Alec nodded, waving a hand at the guard dismissively so that he wouldn’t have to deal with the futile concern the guard had for him. The guard nodded reluctantly before standing up, glancing at Magnus unsurely before marching back up the steps. Once the guard was out of earshot, Alec narrowed his eyes at the magician.

“Did you really have to tell him I fell down the stairs?” he asked.

Magnus shrugged. “But thats what happened.”

“I’m the Prince!” Alec snapped, ignoring the fact that his vision was blurred. “Prince’s don’t fall down stairs!”.

“But you did” Magnus pointed out.

Alec narrowed his eyes further. “Do you want to spend the night in a prison cell, trickster?”.

“Not really” Magnus admitted. “Will you be the one putting me there?”.

“Yes” Alec growled through gritted teeth.

“Will you be the one chaining me up?” Magnus asked.

“Chain you up?” Alec asked in confusion. “You don’t need to be chained up…”.

Magnus smirked, amused by the fact that the Prince had no clue of what he was talking about. Alec blinked rapidly, trying to regain his vision. His head ached and he was starting to feel the severe affects of getting himself drunk. Magnus, noticing Alec’s fluttering eyelids, threw his amusement to the side and leaned forward in concern.

“Alexander…are you feeling unwell?” he asked.

Alec shook his head, which he immediately regretted due to the pain that quickly shot through him. Colour quickly drained from his face and he was left to look as pale as a ghost. Magnus, filled with concern, placed his palm against the Prince’s forehead. Alec was dangerously warm, indicating that he was more than just drunk. He was dangerously ill. Without a moments hesitation, Magnus wrapped one arm around Alec’s torso and the other underneath Alec’s legs. He carried the Prince off towards his chambers, worry shooting through him as each step he took seemed to only make Alec worse. 

**

The night was almost over, yet Jace wasn’t exactly ready to give up on his flirtatious conversations and heart throbbing smile. He was in the middle of complementing Lady Helen when the large glass windows that decorated the hall burst into tiny shards of glass and fire swept through the room. Jace grabbed Helen’s arm and ducked under a table. A few guests screamed in agony as glass shards sliced their skin and fire took hold of their clothes. The King shouted orders at the guards, instructing every body to get out of the room.

“What’s happening?” Helen asked, rising to her feet. 

“We’re under attack” Jace replied.

His eyes scanned the room quickly, searching for his brother and sister. Max was being dragged out of the room by the Queen, who too seemed to be searching for her children.

“Helen” Jace whispered, directing the girl towards the doors. “You need to get out of here.”

“Aren’t you coming?” she asked worriedly, turning to look at him with a serious frown.

“I have to find Isabelle” he said. “I’ll meet you outside.”

Helen nodded reluctantly before running out of the room, quick to join other royals who wasted no time escaping the fire. Several guards and servants gathered buckets of water and poured the cool liquid onto the flames. The King ran towards Jace and pulled his step son towards the door.

“Father wait!” Jace said desperately. “Where’s Isabelle?”.

King Robert looked alarmed, glancing behind him at the scattering guests. “Hasn’t she left the room yet? Didn’t she go with your mother and Max?”.

“No” Jace shook his head. “She’s still in here somewhere.

Robert turned around and scanned the room, fixating his gaze on a few men and women who were thrown against the wall due to the explosion. Jace followed his gaze and almost ran forward when he saw that Isabelle was trapped underneath a large stone table. The only thing stopping him from leaping to the rescue was the King’s firm grip on his arm.

“I’ll order the guards to get her out of there” Robert said, his voice low and rough. “I just need you to get out of here and help the guards find the source of the explosion.”

“But father-“ Jace started, but the King stopped him with a raised finger.

“I’m not asking you!” Robert snapped. “I’m ordering you.”

With one last glance in Isabelle’s direction, Jace ran towards the doors, quick to grab his sword and help the guards on their conquest. The castle halls were littered with panicked royals and terrified servants. Jace fought his way through the crowd until he joined the guards who were searching for the criminal who caused the explosion. Sir Hodge, who was Jace’s weapons trainer, yanked him by the arm and pulled him to his side.

“Why aren’t you putting out the fire?” he asked, giving Jace a paranoid sideways glance.

“The servants have that covered” Jace replied.

“Is everyone alright?” Hodge asked.

Jace shook his head. “I don’t know. Alec left early, too drunk to look professional. Mother and Max left after the explosion and Isabelle was caught under a table. Father said he’d get her out though.”

They mounted down the front steps of the castle, splitting up into four different groups as they scanned the perimeter. 

“Any idea who caused the explosion?” Jace asked, looking at Hodge with curiosity.

Hodge shook his head. “No one saw anything. But it’s pretty obvious who’s involved. Valentine.”

“You think it was one of his men?” Jace asked, unable to hide the nervousness from his voice.

“Possibly” Hodge admitted. “We won’t know yet until we catch the bastard.”

A barrel fell a few feet ahead of them, indicating that someone had been hiding behind it. Hodge and Jace exchanged nervous glances before approaching the fallen barrel. Swords outstretched in front of them and a group of guards behind them, they scanned the area where the barrel had fallen. A muddy footprint planted itself in between a cobble stone and another barrel.

“Small lad, ‘e is” said one of the guards.

“Small but mighty” Hodge observed. He pointed his sword in the direction the footprint was facing and glanced over his shoulder at the expectant guards. “He went this way.”

Following Hodge’s lead, Jace and the six other guards ran down a lonesome alleyway that lead towards the Dumont forest. The Dumont forest was a large patch of land that separated their kingdom from King Valentine’s Kingdom. The fact that the criminal was retreating into the forest only confirmed Hodge’s suspicions that Valentine was involved. Once the alleyway ended and they were surrounded by tall dark trees and hidden shadows, the group of guards stood around awkwardly, waiting for further instruction. Jace listened closely, examining his fellow man’s breathing as well as the unnatural silence accompanying them. A small movement in the bushes was what awoke Jace’s senses. Lunging forward, sword outstretched, he sliced through the bush in order to capture the criminal. When a pair of bright green eyes looked up at him, accompanied by long red hair, Jace was almost thrown backwards from surprise. They’d captured a girl. 

“Go on” the girl spat. “Get on with it. Kill me.”

Jace held the sword just underneath the red head’s chin. “What is your name? Why did you attack the castle?”.

“My name is Clarissa Fairchild” the girl snarled. “And I attacked your castle because it was my mission.”


	3. Poison

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter three, hope you enjoy :')

“Alexander…Alec…I need you to wake up, my lord” Magnus urged, gently shaking the young Prince by the shoulders.

When he’d heard the loud explosion that rocked the castle, Magnus had started on his attempts to wake the Prince up and direct him out to safety. But due to the alcohol poisoning that swum through the Prince’s veins, Alec was locked up in a deep, deep sleep. Sitting in a chair beside the luxurious bed that Alec now slept in, Magnus simply watched the Prince’s chest rise and fall. 

“Come on, my lord” Magnus said with exasperation. “I think the castle is under attack. You need to wake up.”

Alec’s cheeks were burning up and he looked even more pale than he had before. Magnus was starting to think that the young prince was more ill than he had originally thought. Shaking Alec’s shoulders, he pressed further, still trying to awake the sleeping beauty. 

“Please Alexander” Magnus begged. “You need to wake up.”

Alec’s eyes fluttered open and the boy’s dark blue eyes grew wide in surprise. Before the boy could sit up to call the guards, Magnus brushed his ringed index finger over Alec’s lips to silence him.

“You were unwell so I carried you to your chambers” he explained. “I think the castle is under attack. I heard an explosion not too long ago. We have to get out of here.”

Alec’s eyes widened further and he sat up into an uncomfortable position. “My brothers…my sister…I need…I need to make sure they are a-alright.”

“My lord, with all due respect, I don’t think you’re up to being Prince charming at the moment” Magnus sighed, placing a gentle hand on Alec’s chest to keep him from moving. “It’s either you’re suffering from alcohol poisoning or something else altogether.”

“I’m fine” Alec said through gritted teeth. “Now I demand you to get your filthy hand off of me so I can go check on my family.”

Reluctantly, Magnus removed his hand, frowning as he did so. The Prince swung his legs off of the bed and attempted to stand. Only, his trembling legs gave way and he fell to the ground. Magnus was quick to kneel down beside him, offering a hand to help the shaky prince up. Alec declined the offer with narrowed eyes and tried for his second attempt to stand. One foot in front of the other, hands gripping the side of the bed for support, he tried to stand. His attempt yet again failed and he fell straight into the magician’s arms. Magnus held onto him tightly, frowning once the Prince’s eyes fluttered closed and his breathing increasingly sped up into uneven breaths. 

“My lord?” Magnus asked worriedly.

Alec didn’t respond and Magnus knew for certain that the Prince was not merely drunk. He was seriously ill. Unnaturally ill. Supporting Alec on his shoulder, Magnus carried the Prince out of the room and through the halls, determined to find somebody, anybody, that could help. 

**

“Return back to the castle” Jace instructed, placing a firm hand on Hodge’s shoulder. “Take the guards with you. I’ll question the girl.”

“Are you sure?” Hodge asked, glancing sideways at the frightened girl. “She could be dangerous.”

Jace gave Hodge a mischievous smile. “She’s just a girl, Hodge. Besides, I can look after myself.”

“She may be just a girl” Hodge sighed. “But she’s the same girl who blew up half the throne room.”

Jace rolled his eyes. “She has no weapons on her at the moment. I highly doubt she’ll try anything.”

Hodge nodded doubtfully before beckoning the six other guards over towards him. With a simple goodbye, Hodge and the remaining guards started on their way back towards the castle. Once they were out of sight, Jace whirled around to face the criminal. Clary was sitting against the trunk of a tree, her legs curled up towards her chest. Her red hair fell over her face and stained tears littered her cheeks.

“Why’d you want to be alone with me?” she asked quietly. “Is it so you can kill me without any witnesses?”.

Jace dug his sword into the ground beside him before taking a seat across from her. Her eyes widened slightly at the surrender of his weaponry, but she was quick to compose herself before he noticed.

“I’m not going to kill you” Jace said. “But when I’m finished questioning you…I will have to return you to the castle. My father, the King…he’ll decide whether you live and die.”

“He’s not your father” Clary said, her voice low but loud enough for Jace to hear. “You’re just his ward.”

Jace narrowed his eyes slightly. “He’s as much as my father as he is my carer…not that it concerns you.”

“Are you close with the Prince Alexander?” Clary asked, raising her eyes slowly.

Jace tensed. “Yes, I am. Why do you care?”.

“I don’t” she shrugged. “I was just wondering. I mean considering he’s going to die by morning.”

“What?” Jace asked, suddenly alarmed. “What did you just say?!”.

“You heard me” Clary said under her breath. “The Prince, the future King, he’s going to die tonight.”

Jace grabbed his sword and pointed it at Clary. “How could you possibly know that?”.

“I poisoned his wine” Clary said, though she didn’t sound too happy about it. “He drank enough to make him feel drunk. But soon…his breathing will stop and he’ll meet his maker.”

“You bitch!” Jace shouted, lunging forward so that his blade cut into Clary’s neck. 

Clary let a singe tear run down her cheek as blood trailed down her neck. She tried not to whimper as pain shot through her, but her frail body could not fight it. Jace, dangerously close to slicing the girl’s throat, took several deep breaths. Following the tear that rolled her cheek, he slowly backed away, controlling the anger and fear that now consumed him. 

“Are you one of Valentine’s assassins?” he asked quietly, unable to look the girl in the eye.

Clary bit her lip nervously as she nodded. “I was forced to commit these crimes. If I didn’t, the King would kill my best friend. I had to-“.

“For one friend you kill dozens of people in the explosion?” Jace interrupted, his voice rising. “But not only that, you poison my friend, my brother!”.

“I’m sorry” Clary shuddered. “I never wanted any part in this. I swear it.”

“I don’t care if you swear it or not!” Jace snapped, narrowing his eyes. “I’m taking you back to the castle so the King can declare your beheading!”.

**

“Help! Please!” Magnus called out, carrying Alec down yet another flight of stairs. “Guards! Guards! The Prince is unwell! Help! Please!”.

There was a murmur of uncertainty from downstairs which gave Magnus the idea that there was someone there to help. Shuffling down just a few more steps, he used all of his weight to carry Alec into the open hallway. Two guards, one on either side of the hall, stared cautiously as Magnus appeared in front of them, the weak prince in his arms.

“Whats going on here?” one of the guards demanded. 

“The prince” Magnus panted, clearly exhausted from his journey around the castle. “He’s dangerously ill. I thought he was just overly drunk. But he needs a physicians care.”

The guards exchanged weary glances before stepping forward to aid the prince. The guards flung one of Alec’s arms over each of their shoulders and held onto him securely.

“Where are you taking him?” Magnus asked, unable to keep the genuine concern out of his voice.

The guards started on their way down the hall, glancing back at Magnus in surprise as though they had forgotten he was there.

“To the tunnels” one replied. “That’s where the whole castle is hiding. The court physician is bound to be down there as well.”

Magnus nodded understandingly, starting on his way down the hall to follow the determined guards. It didn’t take long before they were entering the tunnels, welcomed by solemn faces and creaking echoes. The Princess Isabelle was lying on a cobble stone not to far from the entrance, surrounded by servants and concerned guards. Magnus could not see her clearly, but he was almost certain that there was blood pouring out from her upper thigh and lower leg. When she caught sight of her brother being carried in by guards, she let out a high pitched wail before attempting to rush to his aid. But the servants and guards surrounding her were quick to stop her. 

“Let me go!” Isabelle demanded, flapping her hands around in front of her face hysterically. “I need to see my brother! I need to know that he’s okay!”.

“I’m sorry, my lady” said one of the younger servants. “You have to stay here and treat your wound. King’s orders.”

Magnus bowed his head sadly as he passed the hysterical princess and the helpless servants. Following the guards as they carried Alec through the tunnel, he took the time to examine his surroundings. The tunnels were piled with both noble men and women as well as servants and guards. Some were injured, but many were just scared. The two guards found a small space behind a large pile of crates, lying Alec down gently onto the stone cold floor.

“Watch over him!” one of the guards ordered, pointing at Magnus. “We’ll find the Queen and the physician.”

Magnus nodded quickly, watching as the guards parted ways and headed off into two different directions. Alec’s groans of pain and agony brought Magnus’ attention back to the sick and dying prince. He knelt down beside the boy, placing his palm against Alec’s burning forehead. Alec’s eyes were shut tightly, but despite this, he seemed to be in some sort of awakened state. He was muttering under his breath, his words unclear and making no sense. Magnus could only make out a few words: Jace, Wedding, Forgiveness, Devil. Alec’s fever only grew worse, as did his breathing. A commotion from behind caught Magnus’ attention and dragged him out of his concerned daze. The Queen, along with two guards, pushed through the crowd. Queen Maryse was calling out her son’s name, fresh tears streaming down her face. She pushed servants out of the way and ordered guards to let her through. Magnus immediately stepped aside, bowing his head and forcing his hands to rest behind his back. The Queen paid no attention to him as she swept towards her son, her knees crushing to the ground as a weak sob escaped her lips. 

“Alec” she cried, brushing her soft hands along her son’s cheek. “My Alec…my darling…”.

Alec had ceased with his clouded words and was taking several long deep breaths, his body arching upwards as if he was gasping for breath.

“He’s been poisoned” the Queen said to no one in particular. “Guards! Find me the Physician!”.

“We’re currently searching for him, your majesty” one of the guards informed her.

“He’s somewhere in the tunnel!” the Queen snapped. “How hard can it be to find one Physician!?”.

The guard bowed his head apologetically before falling back into a safe silence. Maryse stroked her son’s thick black hair before reluctantly turning her gaze towards Magnus.

“Bane?” she asked in surprise. “I am to understand that you brought him here?”.

Magnus nodded respectfully.

“How did you find him?” she asked, pain clear in her voice.

“I found him by the stairs, your majesty” Magnus replied. “I assumed he was drunk and helped him to his room. But thats when the Prince’s symptoms took a turn for the worst.”

“Thank you for taking care of him” Maryse said quietly, averting her gaze back towards her son. “You will be rewarded once he is healed.”

Despite the certainty of Alec’s recovery in the Queen’s words, the way Alec’s breathing hitched every two or three breaths gave Magnus the impression that recovery was more of an unlikely-hood. After ten minutes of antagonising pain on Alec’s behalf, two guards returned with the court physician. The old man looked very distressed at the sight of Alec, but more distressed with the anger flaring up in the Queen’s eyes.

“Where were you Alfred?” Maryse demanded.

“Tending to the sick, your majesty” the physician replied, placing his old and fragile fingers across Alec’s forehead. “He’s been poisoned, I believe. Not very well though, the perpetrator mustn’t of been very experienced. If they were, the prince would already be dead.”

“Well we can thank the heavens that he’s not” Maryse said, her voice shaking despite it’s firm tone.

Alfred nodded in agreement, yanking a mixture of potions from out of his satchel. He flicked through them sloppily, murmuring to himself as he searched for a possible cure. Magnus watched in frustration as the Physician seemed to be doing a very a poor job of being a physician. The prince was getting worser and worser by the second. 

“Is he going to die?” asked a small voice from beside Magnus.

Magnus looked down at the youngest prince with a strange sense of fondness. Prince Max was staring at his elder brother with unhidden worry and dread. 

“The Physician says the culprit did an awful job at poisoning him” Magnus informed the prince. “That could mean that your charming brother will awake with the whole kingdom on their knees.”

“He wouldn’t want that” Max said sceptically. 

“I would” Magnus said with a cheeky smile, trying to distract the little prince from the suffering that lay just upon them. 

Max looked up at the magician curiously, his blue eyes wide and unsure. “You’d want to be on your death bed just so that the whole kingdom will mourn for you?”.

“Well when you put it like that…” Magnus started, but a loud a howl of pain from Alec prevented him from finishing his pointless sentence. 

Prince Max ran forward, quick to fall on his knees at his brother’s side. The Queen wrapped an arm around her youngest son while staring in horror as Alec’s body burst into a fit of trembles. The Physician continued to pour the unknown liquid into Alec’s mouth, praying the lords prayer as he did so. 

“Stop!” shouted the princess Lydia, appearing out of nowhere to yank the potion out of Alfred’s hands.

“Lydia, what are you doing?” the Queen demanded.  
“This potion is making it worse!” Lydia said, pointing to Alec’s trembling body. “He’s been poisoned with Night shade. One of the servants who were in the kitchens claimed that they had smelt it in the room. I know the cure for Night shade.”

“Help him!” Max begged.

Lydia yanked Alfred’s satchel out of his hands and rummaged through the useless bottle of ‘remedies’ that it held. After a few moments of complete anticipation, Lydia found the bottle she needed and moved closer to the dying Alec. She poured the liquid into Alec’s mouth, resting one hand on his chest with the other on his cheek. The Queen, Prince Max, Alfred, Lydia, and Magnus all watched in a hopeful silence as Alec swallowed the potion. After a few silent minutes, Alec’s breathing returned to normal and the colour was slowly returning to his cheeks.

“He’s okay” Lydia breathed, relaxing against the wall with her eyes closed. “The prince will live.”


	4. Crimes against Royalty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 4 :') Hope you like it, I'm enjoying writing this fic so yeah !!

Jace dragged Clary by the arm and hurried up the never ending castle steps towards the awaiting King. Clary squirmed against his grip, but her efforts were wasted as Jace’s grip was made of iron. The King glowered in Clary’s direction, unafraid to show his distrust and hatred towards her. Once they reached the final step, Jace bowed his head before yanking Clary in front of him, forcing her to her knees.

“Is this the assassin?” King Robert asked, his eyes piercing into Clary’s fare skin.

“Yes, my lord” Jace confirmed, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. “She admitted to causing the explosion. She’s working for Valentine. She only confirmed it. And…”.

“And what?” Robert pressed on.

“She admitted to poisoning Alec” Jace said, unable to keep his voice from cracking. “She said he will die tonight.”

Robert’s body stiffened and he glanced over at his body guard who stood beside him. “Check on my son. He should be in the tunnels. Check that he’s alive and well. Then bring me back the news. Good or bad.”

The guard nodded quickly and headed straight for the castle, only glancing back once to glare at Clary. The girl fought back tears, staring up at the late night sky that revealed it’s beautiful and shining stars. 

“You” the King said, his voice dark and threatening. “You killed seven-teen people tonight.”

Clary gasped and looked to Jace as if he could confirm the King’s statistic. But Jace wasn’t looking at her, he was staring straight ahead of him, his jaw tense and his eyes hard. 

“Look at me!” the king snapped, stepping forward only slightly before his self control restrained him. “Your name…what is it? Tell me your stupid name!”.

When Clary didn’t answer, Jace took a deep breath. “Her name is Clarissa Fairchild, my lord.”

“Fairchild?” Robert echoed, his eyes widening in surprise. “Jocelyn’s daughter?”.

Clary’s eyes widened also. “How do you know of my mother? She’s never stepped foot in this kingdom!”.

“I don’t answer to you” Robert spat. “Jace, take her to the dungeons. She’ll remain there until the castle is back in order! “.

Jace took hold of Clary’s arm and yanked her forward. Before he could pass with her though, the King stopped them with a raised hand. His eyes were on Clary, but his message was to Jace.

“If my son…if the future King is dead…” Robert started, doing his best to hide his features behind an invisible mask. “The girl is mine to kill. Is that understood?”.

Jace bowed his head slowly, unwilling to meet Clary’s fearful gaze. “Yes, my lord. You’re understood.”

**

“You saved my life” Alec whispered, reaching out to hold Lydia’s hand. “Thank you, thank you!”.

“The Gods willed you to live” Lydia smiled, squeezing Alec’s hand lightly. “I just happened to know a thing or two about poisons.”

“Should I be concerned about that?” Alec asked.

Lydia smirked. “Lets hope you never have to find out.”

News that the assassin had been captured spread throughout the tunnels, alerting the guards that people were now allowed to return to the safety of the castle. Prince Alec, Princess Lydia, the Queen, Prince Max and Magnus Bane were sitting down in the tunnel, deciding to wait until the tunnels were cleared before they made their escape. Prince Max had grown tired — the night’s events had occurred a little past his bed time. His head fell into his mother’s lap as the Queen stroked his hair. and he was quick to fall asleep. 

“I better take him up” the Queen explained, gesturing towards her youngest son. “Alec, make sure to give the magician what he wants…he’s the one who brought you here.”

With a quick glance in Magnus’ direction, Alec swallowed hard. He didn’t like the idea of paying the magician with what ever he wanted, but he knew better than to argue with his mother. Carrying Max in her arms, the Queen rose to her feet and headed out of the tunnels, accompanied by two guards who looked just as tired as the sleeping boy.

“It seems you’re not just a magician” Lydia started, staring at Magnus with mild curiosity. “You’re an undercover knight without any shining armour.”

Magnus let out a tired laugh. “I have shining armour, my lady. I just prefer not to carry all that useless weight, you know?”.

“I’m not sure I do know” Lydia admitted, raising an eyebrow. “But uh, what do you desire?”.

“What do I desire?” Magnus asked, raising his own eyebrows. 

“Yes” Lydia said. “What do you desire? The Queen ordered us to give you what ever you want.”

“With all due respect” Alec interrupted, shifting uncomfortably in his seated position. “Magnus can receive some gold that my father can spare…then he can be on his way.”

Lydia shook her head. “That won’t do. He saved your life!”.

“You saved my life” Alec corrected her, avoiding Magnus’ gaze. “He only prolonged it.”

“Maybe I should have let you in your room” Magnus said bitterly, leaning back lazily against the wall.

“Maybe you should have” Alec agreed. “No one would have known it was you.”

“Wait” Lydia interrupted, raising her eyes to meet Magnus’. “You were in his room? The guards said you found him by the stairs.”

“Well yes I did” Magnus said, waving his hand dismissively in front of him. “However I just assumed he was drunk…so I took him to his chambers.”

Alec shifted uncomfortably again, causing Magnus to avert his gaze to Lydia only. 

“Oh” is all the princess said before heavy footsteps racing down the tunnel ended their conversation.

Jace’s head appeared just a few metres ahead, his eyes widening in relief at the sight of his alive and living brother. He ran forward, dropping his sword and jacket onto the dirt ground. He flung himself at Alec, not caring about Magnus or Lydia who were watching the scene take place in front of them.

“I thought you were dead” Jace breathed, his head buried into Alec’s firm shoulder.

Alec embraced his step brother firmly, pulling him into a tight and loving hug. They stayed like that for a moment, Alec’s eyes closing at the feeling of Jace against him while Jace’s eyes closed with relief. 

“Did you really think I was dead?” Alec asked as he pulled away.

Jace nodded tiredly, running his nervous fingers through his thick blonde hair. “The assassin, she told me she poisoned you and said you’d be dead by morning. I feared the worst.”

“The assassin’s a woman?” Lydia asked with surprise.

Jace looked at her seriously and nodded. 

“I love this turn of events” Magnus said excitedly. “Women can now be named equally as evil as men.”

Jace whirled around to stare at Magnus, clearly surprised by the magician’s presence. Magnus stared back at him evenly — his green eyes dark — waiting for the King’s ward to speak his mind. But it was Alec’s voice who broke the silence.

“The assassin…why did she poison me?” he asked.

“Valentine made her” Jace replied, shaking his head. “He threatened to kill her friend if she didn’t enforce this attack.”

“Are you sympathising with her?” Lydia asked with bewilderment. 

Jace’s eyes widened at the Princess’ proposal and he shook his head immediately. “No. No way. I hope she pays for the seven-teen lives she ended. And almost killing Alec. But I’m blaming Valentine.”

“Why would Valentine want to kill Alexander?” Magnus asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

“Prince Alec, to you” Jace corrected, shooting Magnus a suspicious glare. “And its pretty obvious why Valentine would target Alec…he’s the future King. Valentine has wanted our Kingdom for over two decades. Makes sense that he’d kill Alec…weaken the King and Queen…good plan of attack.”

“Why would he want this place?” Magnus scoffed. “Nothing special about New York Shire…apart from the people. The people are loaded with diamond and gold…oh and the jewellery!”.

Jace raised an eyebrow at the magician but decided it would be best if he said nothing. Alec, however, was quick to jump at his kingdoms’s defence. Standing up so that he was levelled with Magnus, he crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes.

“New York Shire is the best kingdom you’ll ever come across” he said, his voice low yet vicious. “It might not be the sort of kingdom a man like you-“.

“A man like me?” Magnus interrupted, pushing himself off of the wall violently. “What kind of man am I, my lord? What do you think I am?”.

Alec swallowed hard, thoughts rattling inside his head. “You’re trouble…I see it in your eyes.”

“And how long have you been looking into my eyes?” Magnus smirked.

“Enough!” Jace shouted, stepping in between the two fired up men. “This is pointless banter!”.

“Agreed” Alec snarled, turning away from Magnus. “He’ll receive nothing for saving my life. Lydia will be rewarded. This low life can just scatter off like a rat.”

Magnus scoffed but said nothing, knowing that biting his tongue could be the only thing stopping the Prince from ordering his beheading. 

“We should head back” Lydia said, her eyes wide as she glanced from Alec to Magnus and then to Jace.

“Of course” Alec said, clenching his fists at his sides. “I want to question the assassin.”

“Is that a good idea?” Jace asked unsurely.

Alec shrugged. “Who cares if it is or it isn’t? I want to know of Valentine’s future attempts to rid the world of me. And I’m going to find out.”

**

The prison cell was cold — ice to the touch. It wasn’t a surprise that the dungeons would be free of warmth considering there were little windows to let any chance of warmth stream in. Clary curled into a ball with her knees pulled back against her chest and her chin tucked underneath her. In attempt to prevent herself from freezing to death, she rocked herself back and fourth, unconcerned by the judgemental guards watching her. In the cell beside her sat another young woman, Indonesian looking. She had dark black hair and was singing a lullaby, her eyes as dead as the night. She looked around the same age as Clary, maybe a year or two older. She wore ragged clothing with a warm cloak wrapped around her. Unlike Clary who wore a torn dark dress, the other girl seemed to be quite warm wrapped in her cloak.

“Must you keep singing?” Clary asked, smashing her head back against the brick wall. “Can’t you sleep?”.

The girl turned her head to look at Clary, her eyes narrowed. “Forgive me if I cannot sleep…for I am to be executed tomorrow. Unlike you, I committed no crime. I’m an innocent.”

“Then what are you here for?” Clary asked, staring at the girl with mild curiosity.

The girl shrugged. “Whats it to you…you’re just an assassin. A pretty one at that.”

“I’m more than just as assassin” Clary sighed, lowering her gaze towards the floor.

“Okay” the girl said, turning around so her whole body faced Clary’s cell. “What’s your name then?”.

“Clarissa” Clary answered simply. “Most people just call me Clary.”

“Well, Clary, I’m Aline” the girl said, gesturing to herself with a surprisingly gentle smile. 

“Hey!” one of the guards shouted. “Quit talking!”.

“Oh come on!” Aline snapped. “We’re going to be dead tomorrow. The least you could do is let the each of us have a conversation with at least one decent person.”

The guard rolled his eyes and turned back around, standing his guard at the foot of the dungeons. Clary couldn’t hide the smile from her face, nor did she want to. Despite Aline’s previous bitter words, Clary was starting to like the young girl. Not that it mattered. She was going to be dead soon. 

“So why attack the castle?” Aline asked. “Surely Valentine has a better plan of attack.”

“Scare tactic” Clary sighed. “But it was mostly just trying to kill Prince Alec.”

Aline stiffened. “Did you succeed? I heard the prince was sick…please tell me he isn’t dead.”

“I’m not sure” Clary admitted, lowering her gaze shamefully. “Do you know him well?”.

“We’re…good friends” Aline said with the wave of her hand. “Not that he’d know I was here or anything.”

“Why are you here?” Clary asked. “You never answered me before.”

Aline’s confident demeanour quickly faded and she was staring shamefully at the bricked wall across from her. Her eyes were dark and distant — reminding Clary of someone she truly feared. Despite the distance in the young girl’s eyes, she forced a convincing smile, trying to hide just how frightened she was of admitting her darkest secret.

“I’m in here, sentenced to death, because I fell in love with a woman” Aline said, her voice low but loud enough for Clary to hear clearly. “I wasn’t careful enough and I was found out. So now I will die for what the King feels like is the greatest sin.”

Clary drew in a sharp breath. Aline’s confession had not been what she had been expecting. She wasn’t sure what exactly she had expected Aline to reveal, but it sure as hell wasn’t that.

“You’re…you’re a homosexual?” Clary asked, glancing nervously towards the guards.

“You could call it that” Aline shrugged. “I’ve learnt not to care. Call me the devil, I am immune to the hateful words. But when I die and I am taken to heaven…I will laugh in the faces of those who tormented me before running into God’s arms.”

“I’m sorry” is all Clary managed to say, her voice shaking slightly.

Aline looked up at her in surprise. “What?”.

“I’m sorry” Clary repeated, moving closer so that her hands could wrap around the bars. “You don’t deserve to die because of who you are…because of who you love. Love is magical. It should not be feared.”

Aline’s lip curled into a smile and a relieved tear rolled down her cheek. “You’re the first person to ever say that to me. You’re — you’re not evil. You’re not a murderer.”

“I am” Clary frowned. “No kind words can erase what I have done.”

Aline reached out her hand to grasp Clary’s. “For what ever reason you had to follow Valentine’s orders, I don’t believe you’re evil. There is good in you, Clary. And if I, someone who barely knows you, can say that. Surely everyone else will too.”

“I wish that were true” Clary smiled, glad to be comforted in her last hours of life.

“So do I” said a dark voice from behind the bars.

Both Clary and Aline pulled away quickly, their backs hitting hard against the wall. Prince Alec, his hair ruffled and pointing in all different directions, stood at the foot of Clary’s cell. His eyes were a dark blue, narrowed and merciless, filled with anger and spite. Clary swallowed hard, fearing of what was coming for her.

“So you’re the assassin” the prince said in a mocking tone. “You’re just a little girl.”

“Alec” Aline started, her tone pleading. “She didn’t want to harm anybody. You’re right to be mad but-“.

“But what?” Alec snapped, his eyes remaining on Clary. “I should just forgive her? Ha. No way. Seven-teen people died in that explosion. Isabelle was injured. I don’t care if the girl is little or not.”


	5. Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm starting to get the impression that some of you think my characters are OOC (out of character). Yes, I understand they are a little bit different ( especially Alec and Clary at the moment) But as you are reading this, please keep in mind that this is set in a different time period and the characters all play different roles. Alec is a prince, future King, thats why he's a little different. But don't worry, the characters will find themselves eventually. Just bare with me !! So anyway, here is chapter five, hope you enjoy :')

“I didn’t want to do it” Clary sobbed, taking several deep breaths in attempt to calm her trembling hands. “I had to do it. I had to or my friend would die.”

Alec wrapped one hand around one of the bars attached to the cell, his expression hard to read. He was watching Clary with uncertainty, as though she were a new species of prey he’d never seen before. He knew that the girl he was looking at didn’t wear the face of a killer. But her actions told a different story. He didn’t want to let the fact that Clary was just a girl get in the way of justice. She’d killed people, attempted to kill him, there was no innocence left in her. 

“I believe her” Aline said, voicing her opinion without restraint. “And if you were half the man you say you are…you’d believe her too.”

“How can you defend her?” Alec asked, looking at Aline for the first time since he’d entered the cellar. “She almost killed Helen, did you know that? Helen was in that room…she could have died.”

Aline stiffened and looked away, unable to hide the emotion from her eyes. Clary didn’t know who Helen was, but she took a wild guess and assumed that Helen was Aline’s forbidden lover.

“What is the point of coming here, my lord?” Clary asked, narrowing her eyes at the shadowed prince.

Alec hesitated a moment, pursing his lips in thought. It was clear by his blank expression that he didn’t exactly know what the point of his visit was. Satisfied that she got the answer she wanted, she turned away, unwilling to face the prince.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice surprisingly calm.

“I’m tired” Clary explained. “The least you could do is let me sleep before I die.”

“You never allowed for those seven-teen people to sleep before you killed them” Alec growled, but he argued no further, storming out of the dungeons with his heavy footsteps echoing throughout the room. 

“Good night” Aline said before shuffling away.

“Good night” Clary whispered back, wiping away a fallen tear. “Sleep well.”

**

~ The following Morning ~

“You’re not going to the execution?” Jace asked, alarmed. “Alec, you’re the future King, you have to be there. Your father will not approve of your absence.”

“Forgive me if I don’t want to watch my best friend’s head fall off” Alec said bitterly, slashing his sword violently against the mannequin in front of him. 

“Best friend?” Jace asked in confusion. “I heard there were two criminals. There’s Clary. Who’s the other?”.

Alec struck the mannequin forcefully before glancing at Jace. “Aline Penhallow.”

“Aline?” Jace asked in surprise. “Why? Jia won’t be happy about her beheading.”

“Don’t suppose she cares” Alec murmured, his shoulders tensing.

“What did she do?” Jace asked.

“Father won’t say” Alec lied, too afraid to confess Aline’s real crime.

“Alright, you don’t have to go” Jace said gently, placing a soft hand on his step brother’s shoulder. “I’ll cover for you…and probably receive seventy five glares the whole way through.”

Alec managed a small smile despite himself, nodding his head at Jace appreciatively. With a firm tap on the shoulder, Jace was off, hurrying off to his post at the beheadings. Despite Jace’s remaining cheerfulness, there was something off about him. Alec could see it. But he just assumed Jace disliked watching people’s heads fall off just as much as he did. Pushing Jace, Aline and Clary aside, he yanked out the sword and continued slushing it at the helpless mannequin. 

Alec was a known bowman — best archer in the kingdom. He’d won every tournament he’d ever entered. Despite his talent for the art, his father disapproved of it strongly. The King thought that a bowman wasn’t a true warrior, simply because they could fight at a further distance. Swordsman were the most approved warriors in the kingdom — meaning Alec had to use his precious training time on a weapon he could barely use. He wasn’t a terrible swordsman, he could fight. He’d been trained since birth. But he wasn’t comfortable with the weapon, and one day, that could cost him his life. As he stabbed and slashed mercilessly at the torn and ragged mannequin, the drums played in the distance, announcing that the King and Queen had just stepped onto their balcony. The whole kingdom were in the court yard, waiting to watch the execution of two young girls. One an innocent. And one a filthy assassin. Alec couldn’t understand why people insisted on gathering together in one place to watch people be killed. It was beyond him. He closed his eyes briefly before striking his sword into the mannequin’s chest, causing straw to pour out from the torn clothing. 

“Alive and well I see” said a cheerful voice from behind him.

Alec whirled around quickly, pointing his sword at the weaponless figure. Magnus threw his arms up into the air quickly, raising an eyebrow playfully as his lip curled. Alec let out an irritated sigh before lowering his sword.

“I almost killed you” he said breathlessly. 

“Did I scare you?” Magnus smirked, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the pillar. 

“No” Alec growled. “My mind was else where…and you…startled me.”

“I see” Magnus said, his smirk fading slightly. “Why aren’t you at the execution wearing your royal crown?”.

“Why aren’t you?” Alec asked.

“I don’t have a crown” Magnus replied simply.

Alec narrowed his eyes which only made Magnus laugh. The drums sounding in the distance grew louder, indicating that the prisoners were being dragged out of their cells. Both Magnus and Alec looked uncomfortable by the sound, but they were both very quick to hide it.

“I take it that they’re executing the girl?” Magnus asked, his smile fading completely.

“Yes” Alec sighed, fiddling with the sword in his hands. “And a good friend of mine.”

“A friend?” Magnus asked, sounding surprised. “What did they do?”.

“None of your business” Alec said, not unkindly. 

Magnus didn’t press on, watching sadly as Alec turned away and continued stabbing at the mannequin. The boy’s shoulders were tense and his brown shirt slid up his stomach every time he struck the wood and straw. Magnus couldn’t control his gaze as it fell down towards the prince’s hip bones. They were hard and dominant — visible to see from miles away. Clearing his throat, more to snap himself out of it rather than to capture Alec’s attention, he pushed himself off the pillar and stood up straight.

“You need a distraction” he said suddenly, clapping his hands together. “I’ve heard that I’m a very good distractor.”

“I don’t need a distraction, Magnus” Alec said, saying the magician’s name with a slight crack in his voice. 

Magnus smiled to himself as his name rolled off of the Prince’s tongue. He hadn’t heard the prince say it before — and if he had said it — it hadn’t been said so beautifully. Before he could comment on it however, a loud commotion coming from the court yard captured both of their attentions. 

“Somethings happening at the execution” Alec said, sounding uncertain.

“You mean apart from the executing?” Magnus asked, but there was no humour behind his question.

Alec slid his sword into his scabbard and started his way towards the court yards with Magnus quick to follow. Loud shouts of protests and screams of terror rung in the two men’s ears as they sped past market stores and inn advertisements. It didn’t take long before they realised what was happening in the court yards. Someone was on a rescue mission. Someone was trying to save the prisoners. 

**

No one had seen the young man coming. Everyone had been too focused on the assassin and the so called “thief” to notice the determined young man. The guards had been noticeably drugged, collapsing onto the ground as soon the rescue mission begun. The crowd erupted into a fit of panic, backing away as the young man held out a sword in front of him. He fumbled with it — proving to the crowd that he was not as threatening as he tried to be. 

Jace drew his sword and sprung into action, politely ordering fearful peasants to move out of his way. His eyes were quick to meet Clary’s. She was standing on the execution platform, her head on the guillotine. The guard holding her had also been drugged and his heavy body slowly began to fall to the ground. The so called “thief” —Aline — and Clary were now free from the law’s grip. The rescue mission would have gone pretty smoothly if Jace hadn’t been able to grab the perpetrator and pin him against the wall.

“Are you just stupid or mentally ill?” Jace asked him, his lips curling into a vicious smile.

The young man turned out to be merely a boy, six-teen at that. He had dark brown eyes with dark curls wrapping around his ears. He looked frightened — nothing like a brave warrior who’d Jace assumed he would be.

“Simon!” Clary shouted, pushing her way through the crowd towards the boy in Jace’s grip. “Simon!”.

More guards were streaming out from the castle, causing Clary to cease her screaming so that she could hide amongst the crowd. Aline ran straight towards the forest, managing to escape with ease since the King only cared that the assassin was captured. 

“Your name is Simon, is it?” Jace asked, gripping the boy firmly by the shirt. 

“Y-yes” the boy stammered, trying to wriggle away from the blonde boy’s grip. “I just wanted to save my friend. I’m sorry. Please don’t kill me — don’t kill me.”

“Hey!” Clary shouted, kicking Jace behind the knees so that he toppled forward.

Simon slid out of Jace’s grip and took hold of Clary’s hand, running towards the forest, heading straight after Aline. They didn’t dare look back as guards came charging after them, only looking forward to where they hoped the trees would save them from instant death. 

Alec and Magnus had arrived just in time to see Clary escape with Simon — Aline no where to be seen. Out of the corner of Alec’s eye, he saw his step brother, pushing himself off the ground with a noticeable grimace. Without a word to Magnus, Alec ran forward, ignoring the hysterical crowd. He didn’t care that his father was shouting orders at him or that guards were trying to get his attention. He just cared that Jace might be injured.

“Jace!” he called out. “Are you alright?”.

Jace looked up in surprise, his gold eyes meeting Alec’s blue ones with severe intensity. Alec couldn’t read his step brother’s expression, but he could tell that he wasn’t at all, happy.

“They got right past me” Jace said, shaking his head. “Little bitch kicked me behind the knees.”

“She knows the basics then” Alec muttered bitterly, scanning Jace’s body for any injuries. “You alright though? She didn’t injure you severely?”.

“No” Jace said, glancing towards the forest. “Some fool for a boy came to rescue her. Drugged all the guards. We really need to work on the security around here.”

“Did she and the boy head into the forest?” Alec asked, following Jace’s gaze.

“Yes” said Isabelle, running to stand at her brother’s side. “I saw them. Father is sending guards to go after them. But more than half of the guards are at risk of being drugged. They could collapse at any time.”

“Isabelle go inside” Alec instructed. “It’s not safe for you-“.

“My leg is fine if thats what you’re referring to” Isabelle sighed. “And I might add that since you almost died last night…you should be the one to go inside.”

“We have to go after them” Jace said, sliding his sword back into his scabbard. “Clary is a dangerous assassin and who knows what that boy is capable of. Even if he did just looked like a complete fool.”

“Clary isn’t that dangerous” Isabelle said, lifting her dress so that she revealed black leather booths with two daggers hidden in them. “She’s just a girl who knows a thing or two about poisons.”

“Yet she didn’t even get that right” said Magnus who’d finally caught up with Alec.

“What are you doing here?” Jace asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

“The chaos calls out to me” Magnus said, looking at Alec instead of Jace.

“Okay well it doesn’t matter” Jace said, running his fingers through his hair determinedly. “We have to find them. I don’t care if we have to kill them. We’re taking them back to the castle.”


	6. The Hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter six, hope you enjoy :')

The sound of hooves galloping towards the east let Simon and Clary know that they were safe — hiding up in a large oak tree with at least one hundred branches. They were sitting across from each other, both panting loud enough to scare away the squirrels.

“You shouldn’t have come for me” Clary said, her voice barely a whisper. “The risk was too great.”

“If I hadn’t come for you, you would have died” Simon said, reaching out to take Clary’s hand in his own. “I love you too much to let some risk stop me. You’re my best friend — my only friend actually.”

Clary let out a small laugh despite her worry. The sun rose high above the trees, sending down it’s warm raze upon the two fugitives. Clary stared up at the birds in the trees, watching in silence as they groomed each other, not having a care in the world. Simon followed her gaze, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach.

“How’d you escape Valentine?” Clary asked, still watching the birds.

“Your mother helped me” Simon replied. “She snuck in the key and distracted the King.”

“And the prince?” Clary asked, shivering slightly at the thought of him.

“Sebastian?” Simon asked in surprise. “He couldn’t care less about my imprisonment. I’m not even sure he knows I exist.”

“Why do you call him Sebastian?” Clary asked quietly, lowering her gaze back down to Simon. “His real name is Jonathan.”

“I’m aware…” Simon said cautiously. “But didn’t he sentence that poor farm boy to death because he insisted on calling Jon-Sebastian by his real name?”.

Clary shrugged, wrapping her arms around herself to stop the shivering. Simon, noticing the goosebumps on his best friend’s arms, moved closer to her in concern. His movement caused the birds on the branch above them to fly away, but he didn’t care.

“Are you scared Clary?” he asked gently, placing a warm hand on her thigh. “Because I can assure you that soon, everything is going to be okay.”

“Is it though?!” Clary asked, her voice rising slightly. “I’m a murderer. Seven-teen people died because of me Simon! Me! Valentine will never stop tormenting us and King Robert will never stop hunting us. I almost killed his son for god’s sake! I’m not quite sure if anything is ever going to be okay again!”.

“Clary” said Simon firmly, placing both his hands on either side of her cheeks. “It is going to be okay. I promise. It’s us against the world. You…me…against them all. It’s been you and me our whole lives. Nothing has changed. I’ll get you through this. I promise.”

Clary placed her hand over Simon’s and managed a small, gentle smile. She was lucky to have Simon. Without him, she would be dead. He was her world as much she was his world. They were two sides of the same coin…and Clary was going to remind herself of that over and over again as they fight for their lives.

**

“This is nice” Isabelle said as they all walked through the forest.

Alec looked at her quizzically, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. “I’m not quite sure how any of this is ‘nice’ to you.”

“You…me…Jace…a mysterious magician” Isabelle chuckled. “All on a mission to find an assassin and some farm boy.”

Jace chuckled alongside his step sister, earning himself a disapproving look from Alec. They’d been walking through the forest in silence for over two hours. The silence had grown so loud that even Alec, who normally didn’t mind silence, had grown irritated. Yet, as soon as his sister spoke, he immediately yearned for the silence.

“I’m not quite sure why I tagged along” said Magnus as he moved to step beside Isabelle. “I was expecting some great adventure.”

“I’m not quite sure either” Jace said with a sly smile. “Is it because you fancy my sister?”.

Magnus raised an eyebrow, staring at Jace with some hostility. “I can assure you, I feel no such ‘fancy’ towards your sister. Though she is beautiful. I am a gentleman.”

“You’re hardly that” Alec muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Magnus to hear.

“Stop making assumptions” Isabelle said, giving Jace a pointed look. “But Magnus, there would be nothing to be ashamed of if you did fancy me. Most men do.”

“You’re not my type” Magnus said matter-of-factly. “But like I said, you are beautiful.”

She gave him a polite smile. “I know that, handsome. But thank you.”

They fell into another awkward silence. With Jace and Alec leading the group, both of their hands gripping the hilt of their swords, and with Isabelle and Magnus tagging along, studying their surroundings. They’d entered a part of the forest where the trees were tall and wide, containing several branches that wrapped around the bark. Magnus found this fascinating — arching his neck up so that he could see more clearly.

“The trees around here are wonderful” Magnus commented, breaking the silence.

Isabelle and Alec both looked up, whereas Jace couldn’t have cared less. Alec observed the trees carefully, noting just how tall and wide they were. Easy to climb. Something clicked inside of his head and he paused, fixating his gaze on the trees.

“Something wrong?” Magnus asked him curiously.

“The trees” Alec said, more to himself than anyone else.

“Somethings wrong with the trees?” Isabelle asked in confusion. “I actually quite like them.”

“No” Alec said, shaking his head at her. “They are tall…wide…easy to climb. We’ve been looking for tracks, hidden caves, etcetera. If Clary and the boy were smart…they’d be hiding in a tree somewhere.”

Jace followed Alec’s gaze and was quick to agree with him. If he were the one trying to hide, he’d definitely go for the trees. 

“We’ve been looking in all the wrong places” he groaned, running his fingers through his messy blonde hair. 

“They can’t possibly have thought that hiding in a tree would save them” Isabelle said, glancing up at the trees doubtfully. “I’d never risk it.”

“You aren’t an assassin with an idiot for a friend” Jace pointed out. “Besides, it may have worked. We could have passed them already.”

“Great” Alec groaned, kicking up the leaves that littered the floor around him. “Just…bloody…great.”

“We’ll find them” Isabelle assured him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “There could still be a chance we haven’t past them.”

“We’ll need to split up” Jace said. “Izzy and I will head back towards the castle and Alec...Magnus, you two will continue on. If Izzy and I find them first — we’ll take them back to the castle and send a tracker out to inform you.”

“Sounds fun” Magnus grinned, glancing mischievously in Alec’s direction.

“Don’t travel too far though” Isabelle said. “You might enter Valentine’s kingdom.”

“But thats exactly where Clary and her little friend would head” Alec argued, running his fingers through his hair anxiously. “If they aren’t up in a tree — they’d be heading home.”

“He’s got a point” Jace admitted, giving Alec a small nod of the head. 

“Alright…so you two both need to keep walking towards Valentine’s kingdom. Don’t stop until a tracker finds you…or until its nightfall” Isabelle started, fiddling with her dress so that if lifted up off of the ground. 

“Yes” Jace said in agreement. “Don’t continue once the sun goes down.”

“Okay” Alec said somewhat reluctantly. “We better hurry. They could be escaping us further as we speak.”

**

“They passed us an hour ago” Simon groaned, smashing his head back against the branch. “Can’t we jump down now. It’s uncomfortable up here.”

Clary rolled her eyes. “Must you find a way to complain about everything. If we get down now, we risk being caught. The King’s children aren’t stupid — they’ll come back this way soon.”

“It’s been an hour” Simon said again, earning himself a slap on the arm from Clary.

The air around them had increasingly begun to cool, causing both Simon and Clary to shiver. The breeze was ice cold to the touch, reminding Clary of the prison cell she had spent the night curled up in. She’d been in prison cells before, but never in one that sentenced her death. King Valentine was cruel, crueler than most Kings, but he’d never scared her as much as King Robert did when he promised that he’d kill her. 

“You look pale” Simon noted, concern evident in his tone. “You alright?”.

Clary shook her head. “I’m scared, Simon. I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared in my life.”

“Surely you have” Simon said, shuffling closer to her. “You have been through so many terrible things in your lifetime — but you persevered no matter what.”

“I’m not as strong as you think I am” Clary sighed. “You’re much stronger than I am.”

“Want to know a secret?” Simon asked with a cheeky smile.

Clary rolled her eyes. “What’s the secret Simon?”.

“I was terrified when I rescued you from death himself” he said. “I really was. I bet I didn’t show it though.”

“You really did” Clary giggled. 

“Did not!” Simon argued.

Clary burst into a fit of laughter, causing Simon to smile the kind of smile that he only smiled around her. He found Clary beautiful — her green eyes adventurous and her smile made of gold. He’d had romantic feelings for her since he was fourteen, and he was almost certain that they weren’t going away anytime soon. He’d always dreamed of Clary, his childhood friend, to one day become his wife. He didn’t see a reason why they couldn’t be, apart from the small fact that Clary was the princess, King Valentine’s daughter. 

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Clary asked once her laughing had quietened. “Is there something on my face?”.

“Nothing but a beautiful smile” Simon said, unable to take his eyes off of her. 

Clary blushed and lowered her gaze. Before she could reply to Simon’s compliment, voices in the distance broke into her interior alarm system. She whirled around in the tree, almost kicking Simon in the stomach as she did so. She yanked him behind the thick tree trunk and silently told him to remain silent. He nodded his understanding and followed her gaze anxiously, sucking in a deep breath. Clary could hear two voices — a light female voice with a hint of amusement to it…and a strangely familiar male voice.

“Can you see them?” Simon whispered.

Clary shot him a frustrated glare before he retreated into silence. When she turned back around to watch the forest floor, two figures emerged from the trees. The Princess Isabelle and the King’s ward, Jace. They were nudging each other playfully, with Isabelle singing and dancing and Jace laughing at her side. Despite their cheeriness however, they both looked as alert as ever. Jace’s hand was gripped tightly on the hilt of his sword and two daggers were glued to Isabelle’s hands. 

“Alec seems really bitter towards Magnus” Isabelle was saying, twirling the dagger in her hand. “Don’t you think?”.

“Yeah I guess” Jace shrugged. “But Alec’s bitter towards everyone. Apart from you and I. We are his favourite.”

“You’re his favourite” Isabelle said with a light chuckle. “I’m just his annoying sister.”

“Of course I am” Jace laughed. “I’m everybody’s favourite.”

Simon almost slipped from his branch, creating a loud scratching sound that immediately alerted the princess and the ward. They exchanged weary glances before Jace’s sword slid from his scabbard and Isabelle narrowed her eyes. Clary closed her eyes for a brief moment, using all of her strength not to shout at Simon. They could have gotten away. The unaware Jace and Isabelle would have walked straight past them. But fate made Simon fail. 

“Was it an animal?” Isabelle asked unsurely, glancing around at the bushes surrounding them.

“Could have been” Jace admitted, following her gaze. “But I’m starting to think we should look at the trees.”

Clary drew in a deep breath, digging her nails into her thigh to prevent herself from screaming. Jace and the Princess both raised their eyes so that they were looking up into the trees. They scanned each and every tree around them, both wearing the same masked expression of determination. Clary shut her eyes as Jace’s eyes quickly moved towards the tree she and Simon were hiding in. 

“Oh look” Jace said, his voice mocking yet tight. “I found two giant squirrels.”

Clary’s heart beat pounded inside of her chest, so loud, that she was almost certain that Jace and the princess would be able to hear it. She opened her eyes slowly, frowning when she met Jace’s darkening gaze.

“The hunt is over, sweetheart” he said, pointing his sword up at the tree. “Come on down now. We need to have a little chat.”


	7. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter seven, hope you enjoy :')

Magnus and Alec had been walking for approximately thirty minutes before their awkward silence had become too much for the young magician. He hated the way the Prince walked two steps ahead of him, acting as though the other man wasn’t there at all. And he hated the way the Prince glared whenever he opened his mouth to speak, threatening him with unspoken words. He didn’t want to be silent in the open air, surrounded by trees and cheerful birds. He wanted to sing, dance, start up a never ending conversation with the most handsome man in the world. But Alec would not dare.

“May I suggest we take a break?” Magnus asked, trying to start the conversation with a question so that Alec would be forced to reply.

Alec glanced back at him suspiciously, though his gaze wasn’t as hard as it had been before. For a moment he didn’t say anything — just stared back at the magician with a look of mild interest. Magnus noted, with some satisfaction, that Alec’s hard and unlocked features had slowly begun to soften. Maybe it was because he was tired, or maybe it was because he was alone, with no one around to watch and judge him. 

“Jace said we cannot stop until a tracker finds us or the sun sets” Alec said finally. 

Magnus rolled his eyes at the mention of Jace. He didn’t mind the King’s ward that much, he just saw how Alec looked at him and jealousy took over. If Jace, a simple blonde boy with no character about him, could get Alec to like him, why couldn’t the magnificent Magnus Bane? 

“Just for a few minutes?” Magnus suggested, gliding forward so that he stood beside the Prince. 

Alec hesitated a moment, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly as he took a look around. The forest was quiet, eerie almost, yet the sun shone brightly through the leaves. The sun would not be setting for a couple of hours, and Alec doubted a tracker would find them any time soon. His own tired heart beat and aching legs urged him to allow himself a break.

“Fine” he said, dumping himself onto the ground under a tree. “I’m exhausted anyway.”

Magnus smiled with triumph and took a seat just a few centimetres beside the Prince, leaving a safe and respectful distance between them. He let out a pleased sigh and threw his head back, glancing over at Alec to catch the boy watching him. But as soon as their eyes met, Alec looked away. 

“Why’d you come with us?” Alec asked quietly, his eyes focused on the woods in front of them.

“Adventure” Magnus answered simply.

“Don’t you have to return back home?” Alec asked.

Magnus shrugged. “No one’s there to wait for me. I can stay here as long as I like. Besides, I still haven’t gotten paid for my service to the kingdom yet.”

“Huh?” Alec asked, blinking in confusion.

“Oh you know, performing at the alliance celebration” Magnus said, waving his hand out in front of him dismissively. “Oh and also..for saving your pretty life. Or as you say, prolonging your life.”

Alec’s jaw tightened and he lowered his gaze. “I guess I should have thanked you for that, huh? I was rude and disrespectful towards you. I’m sorry.”

“Well this is a surprise” Magnus grinned. “A prince admitting he was a douche bag. Times really are changing.”

Alec laughed. “Don’t be expecting a lot of that, alright?”.

“Oh but that implies we’ll be spending lots of time together” Magnus said, raising an eyebrow.

“Not it doesn’t” Alec argued. “You’re implying it.”

“Why would I do such a thing?” Magnus asked.

Alec shrugged. “Adventure? That seems to be your answer for everything.”

“Do you think I’m keeping something from you?” Magnus asked curiously, cocking his head to the side.

“I barely know you” Alec sighed. “Why would I just assume you were keeping something from me?”

“I don’t know” Magnus admitted. “You’re just very…distant towards me. Is there a reason why?”.

Alec stared at him for a moment — eyes wide and lips parted. He didn’t know what to say in response to Magnus’ assumption. He didn’t really consider himself to be ‘distant’, grumpy and annoyed maybe, but he wasn’t distant. The magician stared back at him evenly, using the beauty in his eyes to send shivers down Alec’s spine. 

“You’re intimidating” Alec replied finally. “I don’t like feeling intimidated.”

“Intimidating?” Magnus asked. “Hm, that doesn’t sound like me. I’ve grown to believe that I’m actually quite friendly…easy to feel comfortable with. Do you disagree?”.

“What do you want me to say?” Alec asked him. “You’re just intimidating okay? I don’t know, I feel as though I can’t trust you. Don’t ask me why because I don’t know. You scare me. Not in the way a dragon scares a child. It’s something else — I just don’t know what it is.”

Magnus stared at Alec, wide eyed and amazed. He’d never thought the Prince could open up about something that made him afraid. Alec didn’t know it yet — but he was admitting to something that Magnus had been hoping for in the beginning. He had just admitted that Magnus, being a handsome young man, had managed to scare Alec in ways beyond describing. Instead of being offended, Magnus was relieved. He’d been afraid that the Prince had just despised him. But no, the Prince was afraid of something, something that Magnus would yet to understand.

“I don’t think you’re scared of me, Alexander” Magnus said gently, giving the boy a small smile. “I think you’re scared of yourself. You see me as a threat — someone who could unlock you. Correct me if you think I’m wrong, but you’re hiding a big secret…and you think I’m going to be the one to spill it.”

Alec opened his mouth to objectify against Magnus’ bold statement, but realising he had no words to argue with, he quickly shut it again. Magnus nodded with satisfaction and tapped his chin thoughtfully. There was something else he wanted to mention to Alec, but he doubted he’d be able to venture into those waters yet. So with quite a lot of effort, he bit his tongue and simply glanced up at the bright sky. It was Alec who eventually broke the silence, his voice shaky and on edge.

“I’m not hiding anything” he said. “I’m an open book.”

Magnus laughed. “If you’re an open book then what the hell am I?”.

“Magnus-“ Alec started, but Magnus raised his hand to silence him.

“It’s alright, Alexander” Magnus assured him. “If you have secrets that you need to keep, I won’t be the one to stop you. You have my word.”

**

“We aren’t getting down!” Simon called out, gripping onto the tree trunk tightly so that he didn’t fall. “If you want us…come and get us!”.

Jace’s threatening smile only grew and he exchanged quick smirks with Isabelle. Clary shot Simon a deathly glare before bracing herself for Jace’s ruthless actions. The blonde boy handed Isabelle his sword and shrugged off his jacket, grinning at Simon as he did so. Clary watched with irritation as Jace’s smirk only grew.

“I’m an expert tree climber” he pointed out as he advanced towards the tree. “Better than a squirrel.”

“Oh really?” Simon asked, peering down at him. “Wouldn’t have thought so with your well groomed hair.”

Clary and Isabelle both gave him quizzical glares before their attention turned back to Jace who was starting on the tree. The kid wasn’t lying, he shot up three branches in under two seconds, causing Simon to immediately regret his choice of words. Clary attempted to climb further up the tree, but she knew there was no use considering that Jace would eventually catch up to her. Within seconds, Jace was perched up in the tree branch beside her, smiling a wicked smile. 

“Hello darling” he greeted, holding out his hand towards her.

She flinched away from him. “Don’t call me darling, you scumbag!”.

“Scumbag?” Jace echoed, raising an eyebrow. “I can’t call you darling but you can call me a scumbag? Seems a little unfair doesn’t it?”.

Clary narrowed her eyes. “In case you haven’t noticed, life isn’t fair!”.

“Oh I’ve noticed” Jace said sourly. “But thats a conversation for another day. My fair lady, I do beg of you to come down this instant so that I do not have to force you down, harshly.”

Clary rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t dare try and force me down. You may be an expert climber, but I’m not sure how well you can carry a five foot assassin like me down with you.”

“Is that a challenge?” Jace smirked, turning around to glance down at Isabelle. “Hey, Iz, I think I’ve just been challenged.”

“Will you just hurry up?!” Isabelle called back up at him, crossing her arms over her chest. “We don’t have time for a tea party! Alec and Magnus are still walking for God’s sake!”.

Jace frowned. “Oh. Right. I almost forgot.”

“We’re not going anywhere!” Simon snapped. “Innocent until proven guilty!”.

Jace gave him a disgruntled look. “I literally caught you trying to rescue Clary. Not to mention Clary confessed. You both are very far from innocent.”

“He’s got a point” Clary sighed, glancing unhappily at Simon.

“You agree with the blondie?” Simon asked with exasperation. “He’s the one trying to kill you!”.

“If I remember correctly, you two were the enemies” Jace argued, crossing his arms over his chest as he relaxed against the tree trunk.

“It was a misunderstanding” Clary started. “If you just heard me out and-“.

“Yes, I know, you killed people because King Valentine threatened to kill your friend” Jace said, shrugging as though it didn’t matter. “But your little friend here really wasn’t worth it.”

“Hey!” Isabelle shouted from the ground. “Little less conversation please! Get them down, Jace! We don’t have all day!”.

Jace glared down at Isabelle impatiently before taking hold of Clary’s arm, yanking her forward so that she hung over the branch. She let out a terrified squeal before flipping herself over onto the branch below, glaring up at Jace who still had hold of her. He stared down at her, impressed, before jumping down to join her.

“You’re good at gymnastics” he noted. “Is that something you learn at assassin’s camp?”.

“No” she spat on his shoe and slapped him across the cheek. “But that is.”

From the branch above, Simon laughed, holding out his hand to Clary so she could high five him. She didn’t really agree with his timing, but she high fived him anyway to keep him happy. Jace, however, recovering from his slap on the face, was not as impressed with her as he had been before. He shoved her off of the tree, yelling at Isabelle to grab her as soon as she hit the ground. Simon wasn’t as hard to get down. With a simple glare in his direction, the farm boy was out of the ground and standing on the ground within seconds. 

“Did you really have to push her, Jace?” Isabelle asked, helping Clary off the ground.

“Yes. She slapped me” Jace replied. “Besides, thats not the worst thats coming for her.”

“She doesn’t seem that bad” Isabelle said with a frown.

Jace raised an eyebrow. “Well, I advise that you keep in mind that she attempted to kill Alec.”

“In that case” Isabelle turned away from Clary in disgust. “Lets take them back to the castle.”


	8. Heaven is a Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter Eight...Finally! I'm sorry it took longer than usual to post. I've been so busy lately with school and I just haven't had enough time to write. Hope you enjoy :')

As the sun began to set and a shadow swept across the forest, Alec and Magnus had decided amongst themselves that they’d camp out for the night and start on their way home in the morning. They’d lost faith in their supposed tracker and gave up any hope of waiting for one. They camped inside a nearby cave, seeking shelter once clouds that warned of rain came rolling in. Magnus had started a campfire, warming the cave up with a yellow-orange glow. 

“Summer or winter?” Magnus asked randomly, dumping himself back against the cave wall.

“What about it?” Alec asked in confusion, sitting across from him with a blank expression.

“Which do you prefer?” Magnus elaborated.

“I’ve never really thought about it” Alec admitted. “Winter, I suppose. I like the snow.”

“Interesting” Magnus noted with a small nod. “I prefer summer. I don’t like the cold — shivering in my boots is not my idea of comfort.”

“But you can always warm up in winter” Alec argued. “You know, wear thicker clothing, rug up…in summer it’s almost impossible to cool down.”

“You do have a point there, Alexander” Magnus smiled. “But walking around naked is also an option.”

Alec almost choked, bursting into a fit of laughter to cover it up. The sound of the prince’s laugh made Magnus smile. It was the kind of laugh that a child would bare — sweet and innocent — genuine. And Magnus noted with some satisfaction, that he was the one who made the prince laugh. 

“Sorry” Alec quickly apologised, throwing his head back against the wall with a smile lighting up his face. “I just can’t imagine a summer where everyone was free of clothing.”

“Neither can I” Magnus admitted. “But I’m almost certain that it would be an interesting one.”

Alec shook his head, still smiling. “That is the sort of talk that would get you and I beaten up.”

“There are plenty of men who’d agree” Magnus said mischievously. “Not all are gentlemen. They would be more than willing to see a woman undressed.”

“I’m a gentleman” said Alec, his smile fading slightly. “So I think we should agree to disagree on that one.”

Magnus frowned but said nothing, knowing better than to question a prince. As the night went on and the sun went to sleep for the night, cool air entered the cave without any mercy. Alec wasn’t wearing anything warm. He was in simple brown trousers with a thin brown shirt. He’d planned for a simple day — not one of search and rescue. Magnus, however, was dressed perfectly for their situation. A thick brown coat covered him up, fighting off the cold that threatened to freeze him. Despite the magician’s own comfort, he couldn’t help but notice the young Prince shivering. 

“Here” he said, taking off his jacket slowly to hold it out to Alec. “Take it. I’m not that cold.”

Alec’s eyes darted from Magnus and then the jacket, hesitation clear in his eyes.

“It’s not going to kill you” Magnus chuckled, holding it out further. “But the cold might.”

“Thanks” Alec breathed, taking the jacket slowly before wrapping it around himself.

“Your most welcome” Magnus smiled. “You can wear it all night if you like.”

Alec said nothing — just stared at the crackling flames. He couldn’t help but think of the fires of hell, the ones that await him after death, the ones that he’d feared ever since a child. The flames reminded him of all the fear that had been drilled into him at such a young age. He couldn’t help but relate a night spent with Magnus alone in a cave to a hell that awaited him. 

“Do you believe in a heaven, Magnus?” Alec asked curiously, his eyes still burning into the flames.

Magnus had been cleaning his nails — but at the sudden question — he raised his eyes to look at the prince. Alec was leaning back against the wall, his legs out in front of him and his eyes fixed on the flames. He had an unreadable expression — a mixture of wonder and fear. 

“Thats quite an odd question, I have to admit. But yes, I suppose I do believe in some kind of heaven. Or rather, a place to go after death” Magnus replied.

Alec nodded slowly, still focused on the flames. “So, you believe in a hell then? Because if there is a heaven there has to be a hell, right? Heaven is for the good and the pure of hearts. Hell is for the wicked.”

“My lord, why are you so worried about heaven and hell?” Magnus asked curiously, sitting up straighter in his slouched position. 

“I don’t know” Alec admitted. “I just — never mind. Sometimes I overthink at night. Forgive me.”

“No need to apologise” Magnus said gently. “But if you must know…I don’t believe in a hell.”

At that, Alec looked over at him. “But if you believe in heaven, you must believe in a hell.”

“Not necessarily” Magnus shook his head. “What if heaven is a hell? What if…instead of believing that when we die we go to some place great…some place…magnificent…we just start our lives all over again?”.

“I don’t follow-“ Alec started, but Magnus held up a hand to stop him.

“There’s a circle of life, Alexander” Magnus continued. “And I think we all go round and round forever. Living as men and women, king or peasant, slave or free man…what ever. I don’t believe we actually die. Maybe thats our heaven. Immortality. But at the same time, that heaven…is our hell.”

Alec stared at him, wide eyed and confused. There’d been a time when Alec had just thought Magnus was some simpleton, but now, he thought otherwise. 

“You’re not just some magician, are you?” he asked suspiciously. 

Magnus let out a quiet laugh. “That’s the first time you’ve acknowledged me as a magician. I thought you saw me as a trickster.”

“You know what I mean” Alec sighed. “Who are you really?”.

“I’m Magnus Bane” Magnus replied with a shrug. “I’m deadly handsome, funny, and on some rare occasions…extremely wise. Who are you?”.

“Alec Lightwood” Alec said clearly. “Prince and Future King of New Yorkshire.”

“Oh but thats only your title, Alexander. Who are you, really?” Magnus asked.

Alec hesitated a moment, staring at the man across from him in confusion. He didn’t know what Magnus meant, he already told him who he was. What more was he supposed to say? Noticing Alec’s confusion, Magnus softened his gaze and allowed himself to help the young prince out.

“Tell me about your self” he explained. “Things you like…things you enjoy doing…you know.”

Alec shrugged. “I don’t know, I like archery.”

“Bow and arrow, huh?” Magnus asked. “That’s quite interesting. Aren’t prince’s supposed to be expert swordsman?”.

Alec lowered his gaze shamefully. “Yes. They’re supposed to be expert swordsman. But that’s just another thing I got wrong in the book of how to be a prince.”

“I never meant to imply that-“ Magnus paused, searching for words. “I think archery is a fantastic sport.”

“Doesn’t matter” Alec shrugged, curling up into Magnus’ jacket. “It will forever be just a sport.”

Magnus sighed and lay down on the cold hard floor. The crackling flames whistled in his ear, reminding him of the fact that he was in the middle of nowhere, lying in a cave. He glanced over at Alec who remained seated, shivering even with the jacket wrapped around him. 

“Thought you liked winter” Magnus observed. 

“I do” Alec said through gritted teeth. “I’m just not dressed for it at the moment.”

Magnus chuckled. “Alright, then, Alexander. I’m going to sleep. Good night.”

“Good night” Alec sighed, taking the time to lay down on the ground. “I’ll be asleep if you need me.”

“Fair enough, my lord” Magnus smiled, closing his eyes. “Fair enough.”

**

“You want to call a meeting, now?” the Queen asked, staring at her daughter with a mixed expression of bewilderment and annoyance. 

Isabelle sighed. “Yes, mother, it’s important! Jace and I found the assassin and her rescuer.”

“Yes, I’m aware” Maryse said with narrowed eyes. “You shouldn’t have gone off like that. None of you should have. Not even Alec. Speaking of your brother, where is he?”.

“He’s in the woods somewhere” Isabelle started, and with her mother’s changing expression, she quickly continued. “He’s safe, he’s with the magician, Magnus Bane. They were out looking for Clary. Jace sent out a tracker to find them. They’ll be back in the morning.”

“Magnus Bane?” Maryse asked in confusion. “Why on earth is that magician with your brother?”.

Isabelle shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t. Can you and father please call the meeting about Clary and Simon’s sentence. They want a trial…technically they deserve one.”

“Technically they both deserve to be killed on sight” Maryse corrected. “But because its late and I really can’t be bothered arguing with you, I’ll talk to your father.”

Isabelle sighed with relief. “Thank you mother, thank you.”

 

Jace entered the throne room with Clary and Simon in his arms. He yanked them forward, uncaring of their groans and complaints. The King and Queen sat on their throne with Princess Isabelle at her mother’s side. Clary and Simon both straightened up in front of the King — straining themselves to look presentable enough to not be condemned.

“You should be dead, Clarissa Fairchild” the King started, his gaze hard and steady. “Yet here you are, standing in the centre of my throne room…alive and well.”

“You never gave me the chance to explain” Clary said, her voice shaking slightly. “You knew my mother, yet you threatened my life and held me prisoner.”

“You almost killed our son!” the Queen snapped.

Clary shivered but said nothing, allowing for the King to calm his raging wife. She glanced over at Simon, studying his features for any sign of fear. But to her surprise, Simon looked just as calm as she was. Maybe even more calmer. 

“Miss Fairchild, please explain yourself” the King said, his voice dangerously low. “We don’t have any time to play useless games.”

Clary swallowed hard, trying hard not to focus on the hungry eyes that fell upon her. Jace made his way to stand beside his step father, his expression blank and impossible to read. She stared at him, hoping for some sense of calm. But when he looked at her, the fear inside her only grew. 

“Miss Fairchild” the King urged, instantly growing agitated.

“Sorry” she said, clearing her throat. “I uh, I…I was forced to create the explosion and attempt to poison the Prince. I never wanted to-“.

“Forced by who? Your King?” the Queen asked.

Clary nodded. “He threatened to kill my best friend…possibly even my mother.”

“So you killed seven-teen other people?” the Queen asked raising an eyebrow. “No one in their right mind would sacrifice seven-teen lives for two. Not even for loved ones.”

“Wouldn’t you?” Simon asked, stepping forwards to approach the Queen. “If someone threatened the lives of your children…wouldn’t you do anything to save them?!”.

“You have no right to question me!” the Queen snapped, turning to face her husband. “Kill them. Kill them both.”

The King stared at his wife sadly, trying to calm her anger and distress with soothing words. But the Queen would not subside, continuing her rant despite everyone looking. Clary held onto Simon’s hand tightly and closed her eyes, trying to picture a place of peace and prosperity. Somewhere far away from the court room she now stood in, awaiting her sentence.

“Clarissa Fairchild” the King said loudly, turning away from his wife. “Why would the King ask y o u in particular to carry out this assassination. You’re just a little girl.”

“I’m not a little girl” Clary insisted, struggling to remain polite. “And the King asked me to do this because he trusts me, but not only that, he wanted to test me.”

“Test you?” Jace asked in confusion. “Why would he need to test you? King Valentine probably has plenty of well trained assassins who could have easily succeeded with his job.”

“He wanted to test m e because I’m the princess” Clary explained, swallowing back her fear. “He was testing my potential. I’m Valentine’s daughter…he wants me to be like him.”

The whole throne room gasped at Clary’s announcement. Nobody, not even the King, knew that Valentine had a daughter. A son, yes. But not a daughter. It took a long time for the King to brace himself, but when he did, Clary shivered.

“You’re not Clarissa Fairchild” he stated, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. “You’re Clarissa Morgenstern.”


	9. Negotiation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter Nine! Hope you enjoy :')

Magnus awoke to the sound of light rain tapping against the entrance of the cave. He’d been in a deep and peaceful sleep until the rain had begun to fall and awake him from his slumber. It was very early in the morning and the sun was only just coming up behind the dark clouds. It was cold and misty in the cave, reminding Magnus of how much he hated the outdoors as well as the cold. He glanced over at the young Prince who was still fast asleep, unaffected by the loud rain that continuously fell against the cave wall. Yawning, Magnus rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, studying the ancient cave paintings that illustrated bears and brave hunters. He remained like that for a couple of minutes before the sound of a twig snapping caught his attention. Alec remained asleep, indicating that whoever or whatever that had snapped that twig, was a stranger. He lifted himself off of the ground slowly, contemplating whether to awake Alec or not. But when he stared at the Prince, observing just how young and innocent he looked, he decided to deal with what ever was lurking outside the cave himself. With quite a lot of self encouragement, he made his way outside, flinching as an ice cold rain drop fell into his eye. 

“Bloody hell” he mumbled tiredly, rubbing his eye viciously until it burned with pain. 

Another rain drop fell onto his shoulder, shimmering down his arm until it dissolved into his skin. He glared up at the sky and mumbled incoherent words before scanning the area around him. There were trees, trees, trees, and more trees. Twigs and leaves littered the forest floor, indicating that if someone had in fact snapped one, it could have happened anywhere. 

“Hello?” he called out, looking around for any broken twigs. “Anybody there…?”.

A shiver ran down his spine as he spun around, an unfamiliar presence startling him. He was unaware of it at first, but as soon as he was shoved against a tree with a knife at his throat, he was more than aware. A young man with long black hair that flew around his shoulders pinned Magnus against the trunk of a tree. He was wearing chainmail and a New Yorkshire vest, indicating that he could have possibly been the tracker sent by the King’s ward.

“Who are you?” the man asked, his eyes travelling up and down Magnus’ slim body. 

“Magnus Bane” Magnus replied, flashing a mischievous smile. “And you are…?”.

“Meliorn” the man answered. “The King’s best tracker. I’m looking for the Prince. Where is he?”.

Magnus jerked his head towards the cave where Alec slept, his eyes remaining on Meliorn as he did so. He didn’t know the tracker very well, but the young man did seem a little too violent against strangers. Meliorn pulled away slowly, his eyes quickly drifting towards the cave.

“In there?” he asked unsurely.

Magnus straightened up, doing his best not to slap the life out of the tracker. “Yes, kind sir. You’ll find the Prince fast asleep…looking like a small child in bed.”

“I don’t need the detail” Meliorn said bitterly before making his way towards the cave. 

Magnus followed him, lowering his gaze in order to hide his narrowed eyes and bitter expression. The young tracker entered the cave without minding to keep quiet. He walked straight towards Alec and tapped the Prince lightly on the shoulder. It only took three taps on the shoulder before Alec’s eyes fluttered open and he he was aware of the other man’s presence.

“Sir Jace and the Princess Isabelle found the assassin, my lord” Meliorn informed him. “I’m sorry it took me so long to find you. The rain began to cover up your tracks and well…that makes it more difficult.”

“He almost killed me!” Magnus added, pointing an accusing finger in Meliorn’s direction. “I don’t know about you, my lord, but that is not the way you should treat a magician.”

Meliorn turned around to glare at Magnus, unamused by the other man’s annoying comments. He said nothing though, too focused on bringing the Prince home to waste time on a peasant. 

“Thank you, Meliorn” Alec said, ignoring Magnus’ comment. “I suppose my sister sent you.”

Meliorn bowed his head. “She informed Sir Jace that I would be the best option.”

“Best option?” Magnus asked, surprised. “You literally took all night to find us!”.

“My lord, why is the peasant addressing me with such an annoying tone?” Meliorn asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

Alec rolled his eyes and shrugged off his jacket, handing it over to Magnus with haste. Magnus took it reluctantly, slightly concerned with the closed off look in the Prince’s eyes. It didn’t take long before Alec returned to the insecure and closed off prince that he’d grown so used to being. 

“We should head back” he announced, putting out the fire. “My mother will be worried.”

**

“Why don’t we negotiate?” Clary asked, leaning forward in her chair so that her elbows rested on the bench and her chin rested in her hands. 

She was sitting across from the King in an interrogation room, alone and unguarded. She knew for sure that outside the room there were at least two guards waiting. But apart from that, they were completely alone. The King stared at her evenly, searching her face for any sign of manipulation. But Clary looked honest, as honest as any other child in the kingdom.

“What do you propose?” he asked, drumming his fingers against the stone bench.

“You want to stop Valentine, right?” she asked, and when the King nodded, she continued. “I can help you do that. I’m his daughter…no one would know a better way to stop him.”

“You’d betray your own father?” the King asked.

Clary shook her head. “He was never my father. I don’t care what happens to him. I want him stopped just as much as you do. I promise you, if you let Simon and I go, I can help.”

“Why should I trust you?” the King asked hesitantly. “You killed seven-teen of my people. And you attempted to kill my son, the future King.”

“I guess you’re just going to have to trust me” Clary shrugged. “That is, if you want Valentine stopped.”

King Robert took a long, deep breath, staring at the young girl in front of him thoughtfully. There was something about her that made him trust her. Whether it was her determined gaze or her steady voice, Robert wasn’t to know. He just trusted her.

“Fine” he said with slight hesitation. “But you’ll take my ward, Jace, with you. As well as Alec when he returns. If you harm either of them — know that I’ll never stop hunting you until your dead.”

Clary swallowed hard before nodding. “Understood, sire. You have my word. No harm will come to them.”

**

It was a long and tiring journey through the rain before Alec, Magnus and Meliorn returned home to the castle. Isabelle greeted her brother at the front steps of the castle, flinging her arms around him protectively as she smiled in Meliorn’s direction. The young tracker bowed his head respectively before jogging up the steps, clearly eager to inform the King and Queen that he had found their son. 

“Is she dead?” Alec asked, pulling away from Isabelle slowly.

“Is who dead?” Isabelle asked, genuinely confused.

“The assassin” Alec sighed, pulling a strange face. “You know, the one that tried to kill me.”

Isabelle rolled her eyes at Alec’s expression and shook her head. “Father is talking with her in the interrogation room. I don’t know what about. But you’ll never believe who she really is.”

“Who is she?” Alec asked.

Isabelle lowered her voice so that only Alec and Magnus — who stood not to far behind — could hear her.

“Clary Morgenstern” she whispered, shivering at the name. “She’s Valentine’s daughter.”

Alec’s eyes widened and he stepped away from his sister. “She’s Valentine’s daughter?! And she’s still alive?! What is mother and father thinking?!”.

“Alec!” Lydia called out in delight, running down the castle steps to greet her future fiancé. 

“Oh dear god” Alec muttered distastefully as he forced a smile in Lydia’s direction.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like her. He just didn’t like the fact that the assassin that had tried to kill him was alive and breathing and now he was left to deal with his future wife. 

“I was terribly worried” Lydia said as she stopped on the step above Alec’s. “I thought maybe you’d entered Valentine’s kingdom and…well… it doesn’t matter now.”

“I’m fine, thank you” Alec smiled.

“Well I’ll be off” Magnus announced, clapping his hands together the way he did during awkward conversations.

“Thank you for your help, Magnus” Isabelle smiled, pressing a light kiss on the magician’s cheek. “I bet you took care of my fool for a brother.”

Magnus smiled down at the Princess with a look of sincere fondness. “He doesn’t need taking care of, my lady. He’s doing just fine on his own.”

He met Alec’s eyes for a brief moment — blue eyes on green. But the prince looked away quickly before anyone, especially Lydia, could notice. Without any further conversation, Magnus turned away and hurried down the steps, heading straight down the busy streets of New Yorkshire that had awoken bright and early for the day. Isabelle turned to look at Alec suspiciously before making her way up the steps, yanking his arm forward as she did so. They entered the castle and headed straight towards the throne room where the King and Queen would be waiting for them. Jace was relieved to see his step brother as he entered the room, showing his relief with a sigh and a nod of approval. Alec returned a nod before turning his gaze onto Clary and Simon who stood confidently in the centre of the room. They merely glanced at him as he entered, too afraid to make eye contact for too long. 

“Alec” the Queen greeted, spreading out her arms to greet her son. “I was worried about your absence.”

“Forgive me, mother” Alec said, greeting the Queen with a small hug and a light kiss on the cheek. 

The King nodded a greeting at his son before inviting Alec to stand on the platform beside him. Isabelle and Jace stood beside the Queen — both their eyes on Clary and Simon. The King had come to a decision revolving around their sentence, but the others were unaware of the conclusion. 

“Father” Alec started, his gaze remaining on Clary and Simon. “Why aren’t they dead yet?”.

“They’re not going to die, Alec” the King replied. 

“What?” it was Jace who asked the question. “You’re going to let them live?”.

The King held up a hand to silence his children before stepping down off of the platform to face the two fugitives. Clary held a steady gaze while Simon shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. It was intimidating to wait for a King of such high power to speak. And Clary had some idea of what was going to be said. But Simon, as well as the other members of the royal family, were left wondering and trying to figure out what was going on inside their King’s head. 

“I have decided that you two, Clary Mogenstern and Simon Lewis, will not be executed on this day” King Robert announced. “Instead, you’ll both assist the Kingdom of New Yorkshire by working alongside my son, Prince Alec and my ward, Jace Wayland, with the attempt to strike back against King Valentine.”

When Alec opened his mouth to protest, Isabelle held him back violently, shaking her head at him as if to warn him. Despite his anger and shock, he retreated into himself and remained silent as he watched the exchange between his father and the two fugitives. Simon let out a relieved sigh whereas Clary bowed her head appreciatively, shooting a nervous glance in Alec and Jace’s direction. The Prince was glaring at her, unafraid to show his disapproval through his gaze. Jace just looked shocked and surprised. For a few extended minutes, nobody said a word. That was until Simon took a deep breath and clapped his hands together.

“Sounds fun!” he said. “When do we begin?”.


	10. Goodbye is a future hello

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter ten :') I'm sorry it took so long to post...I hadn't had time to write it haha. Hope you enjoy :')

Alec couldn’t believe it. One minute he was lying on his death bed — barely even surviving. The next, he was expected to work alongside the same person who had tried to kill him. It was insane. Not only was he supposed to trust Clary Morgenstern, but he was also supposed to drop everything and trust that she knew how to stop her own father. None of it made sense. He was almost certain that his father was having some mental difficulties. How could he possibly trust an assassin? And not only is Clary an assassin, she’s also Valentine’s daughter. 

“Alec!” Jace called out, racing down the hall to catch up to his raging step brother. “Alec! Wait!”.

Alec stopped abruptly, turning his head slowly to face his brother. Jace looked alive and alert, his light and easy features turned to hard and serious. He caught up to Alec easily, arching his stomach forward as he gasped for breath. He may have been an excellent swordsman, but he really needed to work on his cardio. 

“You…aren’t…angry…are…you?” he asked, taking several quick breaths in between words. 

“Am I angry?” Alec asked with disbelief. “How can I not be? Not only is father letting the assassin live. He’s allowing her to travel by her own free will. He expects us to just trust and follow her. Who knows…we could be walking right into a trap.”

“I don’t think its a trap, Alec” Jace sighed. “I believe that we really might be able to stop Valentine.”

“You’re so gullible, little brother” Alec said, shaking his head. “You’ll believe anything a pretty little girl says to you.”

“Hey!” Jace snapped, narrowing his eyes. “This isn’t about whether I think Clary is attractive or not. This is about our chance to stop Valentine. He tried to kill you, Alec! He’s always going to be a threat until he no longer plagues this earth.”

“What ever” Alec shrugged, averting his gaze elsewhere. “I don’t trust her. And the only reason I’m going with her and her little friend is to make sure you don’t end up dead.”

“Well I’m glad you care for me, Alec” Jace chuckled. “It lets me know that you actually do have feelings.”

Alec rolled his eyes. “Shut up. I’m going to ready the horses.”

**

Clary and Simon were sitting on the front steps of the castle when Jace finally found them. Two guards stood by them, watching them carefully in case they attempted to run away. At Jace’s arrival, both Clary and Simon stood up, afraid that if they didn’t show respect they’d be instantly sentenced to death. 

“Thank you Jerald, thank you Samuel” Jace said to the guards. “That will be all.”

The two guards bowed their heads respectfully before hurrying up the castle steps. Clary and Simon shifted uncomfortably as Jace stared at them, unsure of what to say or do. It wasn’t until the Princess Isabelle came racing down the steps wearing male clothing that any of them were able too look away. 

“Iz?” Jace asked in surprise. “What are you doing? And what are you wearing?”.

Isabelle glanced down at herself with a pleased smile. “I’m wearing your pants and one of Alec’s shirts. I needed something that I could kill a king with, you know? None of my dresses would do.”

“Iz, you can’t come with us” Jace sighed. “Mother and Father would kill us. A princess isn’t supposed to do this kind of stuff.”

Isabelle rolled her eyes. “I can do what I like, thank you very much. Who are you to tell me what a princess is or isn’t supposed to do. I want to help kill Valentine because in case you have forgotten, he wants my brother dead.”

“I haven’t forgotten” Jace said with slight irritation. “But Alec and I can handle this.”

“Really?” Isabelle asked. “Are you sure? Because I’m almost certain that Alec will want to murder Clary and Simon. Without me, I doubt you’ll be able to stop him.”

“We can defend ourselves” Simon pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest confidently.

Isabelle raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing. She wasn’t giving in — she really wanted to join her siblings on their little adventure. She was sick of always being left out just because of her gender. Just because she was a young woman did not mean she was any less capable of stopping Valentine than the boys were. Clary herself, being a young woman, had already proved how powerful women can be. Yet men still insisted that women were better inside and away from all the adventure. Isabelle hated it and she wasn’t going to let Jace win the argument. She’d fight for her rights all day if she had to. 

“It’s not going to be all fun and games” Jace informed her, giving her a defeated glare. “You do realise we’ll be getting ourselves into a lot of danger, right?”.

“Danger is my middle name” Isabelle smiled. “I’ll be fine, Jace. In fact, I’m more worried about you and Alec. How well do you two handle danger?”.

“Pretty well thank you” Jace said with a small chuckle.

“Speaking of Alec” Clary said, speaking for the first time since Isabelle arrived. “Where is he?”.

“Readying the horses” Jace answered her, giving her an unreadable inspection. 

“The stables then” Isabelle confirmed. “Does he even know where that is? I’ve never seen him fetch a horse in my life.”

“Don’t tease him” Jace smiled. “I’m almost certain that he’s going to be in a terrible mood.”

Isabelle shrugged. “Isn’t he always? That’s nothing new. I’d be worried if he returned to us smiling.”

**

Four horses. That was all Alec needed. Yet the stable boy who’s name Alec couldn’t remember, insisted on making one simple task ten times harder. Four horses. There were at least Forty castle horses that were available during an ordinary day. Alec just couldn’t understand why FOUR horses were almost impossible to get a hold of when there were more than enough available.

“They’ve all been pre-ordered, my lord” the boy insisted, crossing his arms over his chest defiantly.

“I’m the Prince, I think all pre-orders can be ignored in my presence” Alec replied as calmly as possible.

“I don’t think that is possible, my lord” the boy said as firmly as he could without showing any disrespect.

“You’ll fetch me four horses or I promise you that your job will not be yours tomorrow morning!” Alec snapped.

The stable boy bowed his head quickly before hurrying off to fetch four horses. Alec waited patiently, leaning back against the wall with a displeased sigh. Considering he was a Prince, he didn’t earn the correct amount of respect people were supposed to show him. Instead, he was treated like some unworthy guard. He had to constantly remind people that he was in fact the Prince — the future King. He feared that one day he would rule yet not earn the same amount of respect that his father did. He’d be a pathetic King. And as much as he wanted the crown, he sometimes thought of a better life without it.

“And we meet again” said a familiar voice from across the stables. “Coincidence? I think not.”

Magnus Bane stood opposite the prince, a large black stallion at his side. The young magician also had a large bag strapped to his back with a dark green cloak strung over his broad shoulders. He looked as though he were going somewhere. Leaving, perhaps. Alec stared at him unsurely, not knowing whether he should reply to Magnus’ statement or simply remain silent. He wasn’t left wondering for long, however, because Magnus was quick to continue on.

“I met this wonderful young stallion this morning” he said, gesturing to the black horse beside him. “His name is Maximus. Beautiful, isn’t he?”.

Alec nodded. “He is. I’ve ridden him before, he’s very gentle.”

Magnus smirked, trying very hard not to laugh at Alec’s sentence. It didn’t take long before Alec realised what he had said and how Magnus would have interpreted it. His cheeks quickly burned a bright red and he immediately looked away, swallowing back his embarrassment. 

“My apologises” Magnus chuckled. “I almost forgot we were talking about a horse.”

“Uh, yeah…yeah” Alec said, clearing his throat absentmindedly. “I uh, horse…I need my…uh horse.”

“Right” Magnus said, looking around for the young stable boy. “May I ask where you are off to?”.

“I uh…” Alec couldn’t seem to form sentences. He trailed off every time he opened his mouth and thoughts of what he’d previously said clouded him. He’d been a fool to get embarrassed over what he didn’t mean. It was just something about Magnus that added to Alec’s nervousness. 

“Four horses, my lord” said the stable boy as he re-entered the room with four horses. “Your welcome.”

Alec didn’t bother saying thank you. His cheeks were too red and his heart was beating too fast inside his chest. Without saying a word to Magnus or the stable boy, Alec took hold of the horses reins and directed them outside. Magnus was quick to follow, his horse Maximus quick to trot alongside him.

“Alexander…wait” Magnus sighed, jogging in order to catch up to the young prince. “Did I upset you?”.

“Of course not” Alec said, only stopping outside in order to put saddles on each of the horses.

“Are you sure?” Magnus asked unsurely. “I was only laughing because-“.

“Yes I know why” Alec said through gritted teeth. “You’re just as immature as my brother and sister.”

“I hope thats a good thing” Magnus smiled, adjusting the bag on his shoulder.

Alec shrugged.   
“I’m leaving for Brooklyn Grove today” Magnus informed him, hoping to catch the Prince’s eye. “It’s about time I head home and please the people there with my presence.”

“I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again” Alec noted without looking at him. 

“Oh?” Magnus asked, raising an eyebrow. “Why is that?”.

Alec swallowed hard before answering. “I only meant to say that my family obviously enjoy your entertainment. I’m sure you’ll be invited here again.”

“Oh I hope so” Magnus said cheerfully, smirking to himself as he turned around to pet his horse.

Alec adjusted one last saddle before tugging all of their reins into his hands. He was hesitant to turn around to face Magnus. But for some reason, he felt as though he owed it to the magician to at least bid him a kind farewell. So with quite a lot of effort, he turned around smoothly and gave Magnus his most convincing smile. But before he could open his mouth to speak, Magnus did the honours.

“I wish you all the luck in the world, Alexander” he said politely, flashing a white smiled grin. “I hope that on what ever journey you’re about to partake in, that you succeed and return home safe and sound.”

Alec bowed his head respectfully. “Same to you, Magnus. Return home safely. And uh, thank you.”

“Thank you?” Magnus asked.

“You saved my life” Alec explained. “You may not have been the one who gave me the cure like Lydia. But you looked after me even as I was being rude to you. So…I thank you.”

Magnus chuckled. “It was my pleasure, my lord. Looking after handsome sick princes is something I’d love to get paid for.”

Alec blushed but said nothing, lowering his gaze to the ground as if to hide his feelings. He wasn’t sure what else to say? Was there some parting sentence he should leave Magnus with? Or was he just supposed to turn around and continue on his way? 

“Well” he started, fiddling with the horses reins in order to calm his nerves. “Goodbye then.”

“Goodbye is a future hello, Alexander” Magnus said with a fond smile. “We’ll meet again soon. And until then, good luck.”

Alec watched in silence as Magnus lead his horse down the street and towards the forest, his bag swinging side to side with every step he took. Alec couldn’t help but feel a sting of regret stab his throat. There was something about Magnus that he just couldn’t quite put his finger on. But it didn’t matter now that the magician was gone. He had more important things to focus on like destroying Valentine and making sure that Clary and Simon aren’t going to betray the kingdom. Alec really hated his job.


	11. Journey Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Eleven everybody...I literally just finished it haha. Hope you enjoy :')

“Took you long enough” Jace groaned as Alec returned with the horses. 

“You try dealing with a disrespectful stable boy” Alec snarled, shoving the horses forward so that they were no longer in his control. 

“There’s not enough horses” Isabelle pointed out with a smirk. “There’s five of us coming along on this little journey.”

Alec took one look at his sister and almost immediately felt ill. She was dressed in one of his shirts and one of Jace’s trousers. She looked nothing like the Isabelle he’d grown so used to. Tucked into her weapons belt were two small daggers, followed by two more tucked into her leather boots. 

“Why are you dressed like that?” Alec asked, sounding appalled. “There’s no way you’re coming with us.”

“You can’t stop me, big brother” Isabelle said sweetly. “Besides, Jace has already given in to me.”

Alec whirled around on Jace and the blonde boy instantly threw his hands up in the air in defence. He was used to often getting caught up in the middle of arguments between Alec and Izzy. Just like Isabelle was used to being caught up in arguments between Jace and Alec. It was tough to be the one caught up in between. But in order to prove his strength in front of Clary and Simon, he had to stand up for not only himself, but for Isabelle. 

“She’s coming with us, Alec” Jace said matter-of-factly, jerking his head towards Isabelle defiantly.

“She’s a girl” Alec said, shaking his head in disbelief. “She can’t be put in this much danger.”

“I’m a girl” Clary pointed out. “And I almost killed you. I think us girls are more than capable.”

Alec glared at her. “Isabelle is more than capable, I agree. But I would never forgive myself if anything were to happen to her. Not to mention what my parents would do to me.”

“I’ll be fine, Alec” Isabelle sighed, resting a gentle hand on her brother’s shoulder. “Trust me.”

“It’s not you I don’t trust” Alec said, shooting Clary a filthy look.

“Then let me come!” Isabelle said excitedly, restraining herself from jumping up and down. “It’ll be so much fun! You know me, Alec! You know how much I enjoy a little adventure!”.

“It’s not as little as you think it is” Alec warned her, bracing himself for a smart retort.

“Oh?” Isabelle asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m sure it isn’t much bigger than your ego.”

“What ego?” Alec asked, raising his own eyebrow. “I think you and Jace are the only ones with that-“.

“ENOUGH!” Clary snapped, tugging one of the horse’s forward so that her point came across more clear.

Once all eyes were on her, she continued. “Do you guys want to stop Valentine or not? Because at the moment, you’re all wasting precious time.”

“She’s right” Jace said, avoiding eye contact with Alec. “Arguing over pointless things aren’t going to get us anywhere. We’ve been given a job. Now we need to go and do it.”

“I agree” Isabelle said, crossing her arms over her chest with a sweet smile. “I’ll be coming along with you all whether my big brother likes it or not.”

Alec opened his mouth to object, but quickly shut it again once he realised that he no longer had any valid arguments to use to his advantage. Satisfied that she had won her side of the argument, Isabelle snickered and hopped onto the only white horse out of the three brown ones. 

“I’ll share a horse with Clary” Simon offered, glancing at Clary for clarification. 

Clary nodded. “Sounds good to me. You guys all ready?”.

“Ready as I’ll ever be” Jace said as he hopped onto his horse. 

Clary and Simon did the same and swung themselves up onto the same horse. Alec watched them with disapproval, crossing his arms over his chest as if to prove just how grumpy he actually was. With Simon, Clary, Isabelle and Jace all saddled up on their horses, the only one left to join them was the grumpy Prince. 

“Come on, Alec” Isabelle groaned, pulling a face at him. “You can continue your sulking while on a horse.”

“This is all just ridiculous” Alec sighed, trudging over towards his horse with a frown. 

“I agree” Simon said, trying for a polite smile towards the Prince. “I don’t want to work with blondie either.”

“Simon!” Clary hissed.

Alec raised an eyebrow but said nothing, glad that at least someone disliked Jace instead of everyone just disliking him. Without any further complaints or irritated sighs, Alec swung himself onto his horse and readied himself for the beginning of a long journey. 

“Lets go” Jace said, clicking his tongue as he turned his horse towards the forest. 

“We’re going on an adventure!” Isabelle cheered, quick to follow in Jace’s footsteps as they trotted towards the open forest. 

**

With Jace, Clary and Simon leading the group and Alec and Isabelle not to far behind, they ventured through the lightest and darkest parts of the forest. Alec sat in silence while the others all engaged in surprisingly interesting conversations. Isabelle was telling Simon about her experience with past assassins — explaining how most of them never wanted to be an assassin in the first place. She was trying to sympathise with Clary, but the red head ignored all of the princesse’s attempts at sympathy. Jace, however, spent his time with Clary describing all the different parts of the forests they were passing through. Alec didn’t exactly attempt to join in on any of the conversations — but no one invited him in either. He was never good with starting conversations or keeping one going, but he hated to be left out. Everyone around him seemed to be enjoying themselves, talking about anything and everything. While he rode alone, thinking about the strange and extraordinary Magnus Bane. He didn’t know what it was about Magnus; whether it was his flirtations, his handsome features, or the large amount of self confidence he carried around with him. But it wasn’t only that, Magnus had a way of making Alec feel wanted. And as much as Alec hated to admit it, he liked that.

“Why are you so grumpy, big brother?” Isabelle asked, slowing down her horse’s pace so that she could ride alongside him. 

“Grumpy?” Alec asked, pulling a surprised face. “I’m not grumpy. I’m just bored.”

“Your grumpy” Isabelle confirmed, staring at her brother affectionately. “You can talk to me, you know?”.

“I know” Alec sighed. “But there’s really nothing to talk about.”

“Okay” Isabelle frowned, tilting her head to the side curiously. “What happened to that Magnus Bane?”.

At the mention of Magnus, Alec stiffened. He didn’t know why, but the name just sent dozens and dozens of shivers racing down his spine. But it wasn’t fear he was feeling. It was something else entirely.

“Returned home, I think” Alec replied as casually as possible.

“I hope I’ll meet him again someday” Isabelle said with a smile. “He’s a charmer.”

Alec said nothing. They continued riding for a couple of more hours before Clary started to complain about being both hungry and thirsty. Alec had originally hoped that Jace might just ignore her, but as his own stomach grumbled and his throat sung out for water, he realised that he too was in need of a break. So when Jace finally gave in to Clary’s complaints, instead of being irritated and angry, Alec was actually relieved. They postponed their journey for a couple of minutes as they climbed off of their horses and took a break by a nearby lake. Clary and Simon immediately stuck into their packed foods and drinks provided by the castle. Jace took a small sip of water, offering some to Isabelle who politely declined. Alec on the other hand, did not hesitate to scull down his bottled water and take a bite out of an apple. He leaned back against his horse as he ate, watching as Simon, Jace and Clary shifted towards the lake and felt the cool water. Isabelle looked as though she were about to follow them, but as she glanced over at her lonely looking brother, she thought otherwise. 

“Tell me whats wrong or I’ll make a scene” Isabelle demanded, shoving her thick black hair back into a high pony tail.

“I’m fine, Izzy” Alec insisted, rolling his eyes. “I’m just not to keen on working with Valentine’s daughter.”

“Don’t be a snob, Alec” Isabelle said with a light chuckle. “She’s not going to poison you, again. Besides, she and Jace seem to be getting along fine. I also don’t mind that Simon fella, he’s kind of cute.”

Alec rolled his eyes again. “You and Jace have both obviously forgotten that Clary Morgenstern had tried to kill me! But not only that, seven-teen people died in the explosion she caused! You and Jace may have no hearts and simply forgive — but I will not.”

Before Isabelle could get a word out, Alec stormed passed her and stalked towards the other side of the lake, hoping to gather some time alone before he had to deal with the others for several more hours. He sat down by a small pile of rocks, kicking up some dirt as he glared down at the lake’s reflection. His hair was ruffled and un-cooperative, though Alec didn’t seem to mind. He could see it in his reflection, the dark circles under his eyes. He hadn’t slept well lately — ever since the first night of the alliance celebration. Everything had changed since then. One minute, he was supposed to be flirting with Princess Lydia, his future wife that everybody was counting on. Then the next minute he was on his way to kill Valentine. He picked up a rock off of the ground and threw it into the water, watching as the ripples grew, only to fade. 

“Would you like something else to eat?” a sweet voice asked from behind him.

He glanced over his shoulder to glare at Clary. She was standing a few metres away from him, a wrapped up sandwich in her hands. She didn’t look angry or murderous, in fact, she looked just like any other girl. But Alec looked past her exterior, knowing that the girl standing there, seeming innocent, was the same girl who had almost ended his life. He just couldn’t get past that.

“No, I’m fine” he replied. “Though if I did want to eat anything else, I wouldn’t trust anything from you.”

“Right” Clary said, lowering her gaze slightly. “I suppose I never quite apologised to you.”

“I don’t want your apology” Alec said coldly. “Just leave me alone, alright?”.

“I don’t want there to be bad blood between us and I-“ Clary started, only stopping once Alec rose to his feet.

“You can’t just try and kill a man and expect the world to be right again!” Alec snapped, pointing a finger at her. “My brother and sister may have forgiven you…but they weren’t the ones struggling to breathe.”

“Hey!” Jace called out, running over to join the heated conversation. “Whats going on here?”.

“I was offering him some food and he just snapped” Clary told him, shooting Alec a deliberate glare.

“It could be poison!” Alec shouted, snatching the sandwich out of Clary’s hands before throwing it into the lake.

“YOU DICKHEAD!” Clary shouted back, lunging forward to tackle Alec to the ground. “SOMEONE COULD HAVE EATEN THAT!”.

“Oh yeah?!” Alec asked as he fell to the ground. “And you were hoping it would be me?!”.

Before Clary could reply with either verbal or physical abuse, Jace took hold of her arm and pulled her backwards into the safety of Simon’s grip. Isabelle and Simon had now caught up with the conversation and were watching intently, their eyes wide and alarmed. Alec stood up quickly, straightening himself up with a filthy glare in Clary’s direction. 

“She’s an animal” he spat, turning his gaze towards Jace. “She lunged at me like an animal! Yet you seem to trust her! What is wrong with you?!”.

“What is wrong with you?” Jace asked, repeating Alec’s question with a lot more intensity. “You’re not the kind and considerate Alec I know. You aren’t being gentle…you aren’t being polite. I get that you don’t trust Clary, I get it, I do. But to act this way…you’re acting like a child.”

“I’m not the one lunging at people like an animal” Alec pointed out, jerking a finger towards Clary.

“Oh but I’m not the one throwing perfectly good sandwiches into a lake!” Clary retorted, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

“Both of you, ENOUGH!” Isabelle shouted, storming forward so that she stood beside Jace in between Alec and Clary. “This is not going to work if we aren’t all getting along! We all just need to get over our differences and what happened in the past! This is all just childish!”. 

 “I agree with the hot one” Simon said, nodding his head towards Isabelle. “Sorry I forgot your name.”

“It’s Princess Isabelle, to you” Jace and Alec said at the same time, instantly turning into protective big brothers. 

Simon said nothing and instantly retreated into himself before either Jace or Alec could smack him over the head. Isabelle smirked and gave Simon a curious scan up and down the body, quickly looking away once she realised she had been looking for too long. 

“But Isabelle is right” Jace agreed, crossing his arms over his chest. “We’re going to get nowhere if we keep fighting like this.”

“I did try and apologise” Clary sighed, glancing in between Jace and Alec.

“It wouldn’t matter if you apologised or not” Isabelle told her, resting a gentle hand on the other girl’s shoulder. “Alec has a habit of holding a grudge.”

“Oh forgive me!” Alec snapped, ready to walk away from all of them. “You are all so eager to pin-point me as the bad guy, the grumpy one…but here you are siding with a fucking ASSASSIN!”.

“Language…” Simon whispered, earning himself a nudge in the side from Clary.

“Alec this isn’t about taking sides…” Isabelle started gently, trying to step forward to reach him.

“What ever!” he snapped, walking away from all of them. “I think it’ll just be better if we continue on our way!”.

“Alec-“ Isabelle started, tears stinging her eyes.

“Hey, Iz” Jace whispered, pulling her into a light hug. “He’s just fired up. Alec rarely gets angry, he’s probably just letting all of his bottled up anger go.”

Isabelle rested her head lightly against Jace’s chest. “This whole thing is messed up…and its all bloody Valentine’s fault.”

“I know” Jace sighed, stroking Isabelle’s hair. “And thats why we’re gonna stop him.”


	12. Natures Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 12! Hope you enjoy :') I'm sorry everything is so dragged out. I always struggle to write short fanfics so I have a feeling this is going to be quite a long one haha.

It was no surprise that the rest of the day’s journey was left to a complete and utter silence. No one, not even Simon, dared speak a word as they travelled further into the forest. This time, Alec lead the group, travelling further ahead as he wished to ride alone without another’s company. A few metres behind, was the rest of the group, riding in an awkward silence that left Simon holding his breath. Time slowed down when accompanied by silence — dragging out the afternoon. The sun pierced through the trees, lighting up the whole forest with an intense glow as it started on its away down towards earth. 

“It’ll be night fall soon” Clary noted quietly, glancing up at the sky with squinted eyes.

“Give it another hour” Jace said, following her gaze.

“Where will we sleep?” Simon asked, his eyes travelling along the forest floor with every step his horse took. 

“On the floor” Jace answered, giving Simon a peculiar look. “Unless you’d prefer to sleep on the horse.”

“I’d prefer a bed to be honest” Simon groaned. “But I suppose the floor will do.”

They continued riding for a couple more kilometres before a small village up ahead caught all of their attentions. A large wooden sign reading “BROOKLYN GROVE” stood out a few metres ahead of them, capturing Alec’s attention in particular. Brooklyn Grove. His heart pounded inside his chest. Brooklyn Grove was the same village that Magnus came from. Jace sped up his horse’s pace and trotted alongside Alec, trying to ease himself into a safe conversation.

“I didn’t realise Brooklyn Grove was so close to our kingdom” he said, glancing over at Alec unsurely. “I always thought it was closer to Idris.”

“As did I” Alec muttered, ignoring Jace’s attempts to make eye contact. “Obviously it’s not.”

“Should we stay there over night?” Jace asked. “There should be an Inn or something.”

“No” Alec said quickly, alarmed at the idea of possibly running into Magnus. “I mean, why bother?”.

Jace looked at him skeptically. “Oh I don’t know, maybe because it would be nicer to sleep in a bed tonight rather than the cold hard ground.”

“But sleeping on the ground would be cheaper” Alec pointed out.

“Alec, we’ve got more than enough money to spare” Jace sighed. 

They stopped in front of the village entrance, staring uncertainly at the people of Brooklyn Grove who were packing up for the night. Isabelle, Simon and Clary caved in behind them, whispering amongst themselves about what their sleeping arrangements might be. Alec took several deep breaths as he listened to their conversation, dreading how much they all wanted a bed for the night. 

“Alec?” Isabelle asked, leaning towards her brother. “Are we going in or not?”.

If it were any other village, Alec would have said yes. But for some reason he could not explain, he did not want to take the risk of walking into Magnus. Despite his fears, he knew that if he did not say yes and allow the group to sleep peacefully for the night, he’d have himself a lot of explaining to do. Throwing his own fears and doubts aside, he gave in to the group and decided that Brooklyn Grove was going to be their home for the night. 

They all hopped off of their horses and lead them inside the village. Jace lead the group this time, looking around frantically for an available Inn. To his relief, the moon-shine Inn up ahead stood out amongst the several stores that were closing up for the night. A local tavern that buzzed with people stood beside the Inn, dragging the attention away from the moon-shine almost instantly. But Jace ignored his urge for alcohol and lead the group safely towards the Inn. He entered alone, giving Alec his horse to look after as he booked the rooms. Once inside, Jace was confronted by the large and terrifying Inn’s keeper who’s bald head looked unnaturally big. Jace had to swallow back his fear at least seven times before he was able to speak.

“Uh, do you have any rooms available?” he asked, trying to sound light and easy.

The Inn’s keeper gave him an unconcerned look. “Nope. On your way, kid.”

Brooklyn Grove was a small village, in which no one would really have any reason to visit it. So when the Inn’s keeper informed Jace that there were no rooms available, Jace couldn’t help but feel the need to question the statistic.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “Not even one?”.

The Inn keeper’s hands curled into fists at his sides and he gave Jace a deadly glare. “Did I not just tell that there were no rooms available? On you way, kid.”

“I’m not a kid” Jace said as calmly as possible. “And what’s gotten you so angry anyway? I’m just asking. Would have thought men like you would want to make money.”

The Inn keeper yanked Jace by the collar and pulled him forward. “Men like me? Care to explain that little description of yours, kid?”.

“Whoa! Whoa!” said a voice from behind Jace. “Tove, lad, why don’t you let the poor kid go?”.

Jace turned his head slightly to see a familiar man standing in the hall. It was the magician, Magnus Bane. He was dressed in simple brown pants with an expensive looking brown shirt. He didn’t at all looked surprised by the Inn Keeper’s — Tove’s — treatment of his guests. In fact, Magnus looked as though it was his regular job to tell Tove to let go of his customers.

“Come on Tove, like you said, he’s just a kid” Magnus said, spreading his arms out wide.

Reluctantly, Tove let go of Jace and shoved him backwards, muttering incoherent words under his breath as he walked away from the counter. Jace watched him go with narrowed eyes as he straightened up his shirt, brushing his collar so that the creases disappeared.

“Whats the King’s ward doing here?” Magnus asked curiously, leaning against the door frame lazily.

Jace didn’t have to answer the magician’s question, but he supposed he did owe Magnus for saving him from quite a severe beating. 

“We were on our way to Valentine’s Kingdom” he said. “Night will be upon us soon so we decided to spend the night here. But considering there’s no place here in the Inn…I don’t know what we will do now.”

“We?” Magnus asked, looking around for Jace’s companions.

“Yeah” Jace said, jerking his head towards the window. “My step brother and sister…Alec and Isabelle. As well as Valentine’s daughter who has offered to help us kill her father.”

Magnus glanced out the window, swallowing hard at the sight of Alec and the others. He knew he’d see Alec again soon, he just hadn’t realised he’d see him again so soon. 

“They were so looking forward to having a bed for the night” Jace sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “But its back to Plan A for us.”

Magnus turned around to face the King’s ward quickly, his mind racing. He had an idea, an idea that would both benefit the travelling group as well as himself. 

“Why don’t you all stay at my house?” Magnus asked, throwing his arms out wide in front of him with a smile. 

Jace looked a little taken back. “What…?”.

“My house is quite large for just one person” Magnus explained. “You can all stay there for the night and continue on your journey in the morning.”

“Are…are you sure?” Jace asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Why not?” Magnus asked. “I love the royal family so very much. Besides, I’m a nice guy. Unlike Tove.”

Jace nodded slowly. “Thats very nice of you, Magnus. Thank you. I’ll let the others know.”

Magnus nodded happily and watched as the blonde boy started on his way outside. He knew that inviting a group of five people to stay at his house was sort of a deranged idea, but he just couldn’t resist the urge to spend more time with the Prince Alexander. Jace stepped outside with a face filled with mixed expressions. The others all looked at him expectantly, waiting for what ever information he had to bring them. 

“Good news or bad news?” he asked.

“Bad news” Isabelle answered quickly. “That way the good news will make it better.”

“Well chosen” Simon told her, smiling stupidly.

Jace rolled his eyes at the idiot called Simon and took a deep breath. “There are no more rooms available in the Inn. We can’t stay there.”

Alec, unlike the rest of the group, felt a large amount of relief wash over him. Now that there were no rooms available in the Inn, they could simply be on their way. There was no longer any chance of running into Magnus. 

“And the good news?” Clary asked.

“The good news is that someone has kindly offered to let us stay the night in their home” Jace replied.

“Really?” Alec asked, surprised. “Who?”.

“That would be me” Magnus said as he opened the door.

Alec’s heart hammered inside his chest as Magnus stepped out to stand in front of them. It seemed as though all the air in his lungs escaped from his mouth and his whole body could no longer function. He hadn’t realised how much Magnus scared him until now. Of all people that could have possibly offered to house them, why did it have to be Magnus? He was a nice guy, Alec couldn’t argue with that. But Magnus was the sort of man that Alec couldn’t trust himself around. 

“Magnus!” Isabelle squealed. “What a surprise!”.

“It’s not that surprising” Magnus said with a distant smile in Alec’s direction. “I do live here after all.”

**

Magnus lead the tired group towards his home, chatting away as though his life depended on it. He made good conversation with Isabelle, both equally as excited to talk about Jewellery and gold. It didn’t take very long until they were all crowded around a small home built with cheap wood and stone. Magnus stepped out in front of his door, his arms spread out wide. 

“Welcome to my house” he said delightedly. “If you’ll just leave your pets outside, that would be lovely.”

“Pets?” Clary asked in confusion.

“The horses, pumpkin” Magnus said, gesturing to the horse beside her. 

They did as asked of them, somewhat reluctantly for Alec. Eventually, the horses were all tied up and kept safe in the pen beside Magnus’ house, fed and left with plenty of water. The sky grew dark as the sun disappeared, cool air rising from the earth. 

“May we go inside?” Simon asked as a shiver ran down his spine. 

“Of course” Magnus said cheerfully, shoving open his front door with the flick of his wrist.

They all gasped.

“How did you do that?” Isabelle asked.

“I’m a magician sweetheart” Magnus smiled at her. “And magicians never reveal their secrets.”

With Magnus’ invitation, they all scrambled inside, relieved to finally be able to properly rest for the night. Magnus’ home was warm and inviting, filled with many extravagant features that not one of his guests would have imagined to exist in a commoner’s home. He lived in a three bedroomed home — large enough for a family of four. His living room consisted of two small lounges, a fire place, three cupboards, a lamp and a small bench. His small lamp lit up the room, the small flame flickering as the wind carried in through the door blew past it.

“This is a nice house” Simon commented, looking around the room curiously. “I like it.”

“Why thank you” Magnus smiled, hurrying over towards his kitchen where he tossed five cups onto his wooden bench. “Drinks anyone?”.

“Just water, please” Clary sighed, plopping herself down onto one of the lounges.

“Water for me too, please” Isabelle said, dragging her eyes along the wooden floorboards. 

“I’m good thanks” Simon said, too intrigued by the artworks on the wall to care about a drink.

“Jace? Alexander?” Magnus asked while he poured Clary and Isabelle their drinks.

“No thank you” Jace said. “I might go to the tavern a little later.”

“Oh, me too!” Isabelle said excitedly, clapping her hands together.

“You’re both under-age” Alec pointed out.   
“Oh shut up, big brother” Isabelle sighed, rolling her eyes. “You can join us for a drink too, if you like.”

“Last time I decided to get drunk, I was poisoned” Alec said, only just managing to keep himself from glaring at Clary. 

Magnus handed Clary and Isabelle their drinks, glancing at Alec unsurely before returning to the kitchen.

“What about you two?” Isabelle asked, removing her gaze off of Alec and towards Simon and Clary. “Will you join Jace and I at the tavern?”.

Clary shrugged. “I’ve never really consumed any alcohol before…”.

“No way!” Jace said, surprised.

“Its true” Simon said with a small smile. “My Clary is a good girl.”

“Come on” Jace said, holding out his hand to Clary while simply glancing at Simon. “You should both join us. If we’re here, we may as well enjoy ourselves before tomorrow’s long journey.”

“Well I’m up to it!” Simon said, looking to Clary for confirmation. 

She pursed her lips in thought for a moment before smiling. “Okay, fine. But I’m only having one drink.”

“Thats what they all say!” Jace chuckled as he pulled Clary up from the couch.

“I thought you all wanted to rest” Alec said, crossing his arms over his chest with disapproval.

“And we have” Jace replied. “We’re only going to get a couple of drinks, Alec. You’re welcome to join us. You to, Magnus. And I’ll pay for your drinks.”

“Sounds fun” Magnus said happily. “I’m up for it.”

“I’ll stay here” Alec said without looking at anyone. “If thats alright with you, Magnus.”

“Of course” Magnus said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. 

“Right then!” Isabelle said, clapping her hands together excitedly. “Shall we go.”

They all ventured towards the door, Jace and Isabelle leading the way with excited grins. 

“See you later, Alec!” Simon called out as though his farewell mattered to the prince. “Have fun!”.

Alec rolled his eyes as the door slammed shut and plopped himself onto the lounge, kicking his shoes off tiredly. His eyes stung and his feet ached. He was glad to finally be alone. But not exactly glad that he was in Magnus’ home. He’d thought he’d seen the last of him. But Magnus was right, goodbye was just a future hello.


	13. Snapped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, here's chapter 13. Hope you enjoy :')

The tavern buzzed with excitement, loud cheers and angry roars filling the room as Jace, Clary, Simon, Isabelle and Magnus entered. For a small town, Brooklyn Grove sure had a lot of members who enjoyed spending their time cooped up in a tavern. The bartender welcomed them in, gesturing to the several stools that surrounded the bar. Jace and Clary took their seats, accompanied by Simon and Isabelle who had already managed to start up an interesting conversation. Magnus wandered behind the bar, quick to join his friend Ragnor as he poured his customers their drinks. 

“I see you’ve brought some friends, Magnus” Ragnor noted, nodding his head towards his newest customers.

“Friends?” Magnus asked, raising an eyebrow. “More like people who I’m interested in for a cause.”

“And what cause would that be, hm?” Ragnor asked.

Magnus gave his friend a small smile before leaning back against the counter. “A special someone I suppose. Well, not exactly. I’m confused, you know? I just wanted to see hi-them again and inviting the king’s ward and his friends to stay in my home was the only way I’ll get to see him-“.

“Him?” Ragnor interrupted, sliding a glass of rum towards an impatient customer. “Magnus, what have I told you about those sort of feelings?”.

“I know you don’t approve of them” Magnus sighed. “But I can’t change who I am. I’m attracted to both men and women. I’m not afraid of that anymore.”

“Keep your voice down!” Ragnor snapped, pulling Magnus to the side. “You’re going to get yourself strung up and stoned.”

Magnus removed himself from Ragnor’s grip and straightened himself up so that he towered over his friend. 

“Don’t worry about me, Ragnor” he sighed, turning his gaze towards his companions who were chatting away happily amongst themselves. “I always get what I want without any consequences.”

“And who is it that you want this time?” Ragnor asked, following Magnus’ gaze.

Magnus hesitated, drawing his eyes away from the group. “His name is Alec. He’s the Prince and future king of New Yorkshire.”

“Great” Ragnor said, turning away from Magnus with exasperation. “Of all people, the Prince?!”.

“Don’t worry…he won’t even look at me” Magnus frowned.

“Well good” Ragnor sighed. “I don’t want you risking your life for someone who will never be able to love you.”

“Your such a downer, Rags” Magnus said, chuckling to disguise his pain. “Lets start up a party.”

**

“Is Magnus really dancing on the table?” Simon asked, blinking several times to make sure he wasn’t just seeing things. 

“Yep” Clary sighed, watching the show with a small smile. “And yes, that is Isabelle dancing beside him.”

“She’s so beautiful” Simon smiled. “Not as beautiful as you, though.”

Clary laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous, she’s way more beautiful than me.”

“No, Clary, you really are beautiful” Simon said, turning around in his seat to face her. 

Clary opened her mouth to say something, make a joke of some sort to re-direct the conversation. But before she could form any words, Jace grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off of her chair. He was drunk, just like the rest of them were. But Clary had not expected to be lifted off her seat and spun around as though she were a rag doll. 

“Jace!” she shouted, flapping her arms around frantically. “What are you doing?! Put me down!”.

Jace continued to spin her around, not stopping until his arms tired and Clary’s small but mighty weight became too much. He placed her gently onto the ground with a playful smirk, his firm hands planting themselves on either side of her waist. Simon watched with narrowed eyes, suddenly feeling the urge to punch Jace right in the face. But when Isabelle had tired from dancing and was making her way towards Simon, his anger and hatred towards Jace quickly faded. The princess plopped herself into the stool beside him and gave him a small smile. 

“I love dancing” she said, glancing over to where Magnus stood dancing. 

“Then why did you stop?” Simon asked her.

Isabelle shrugged. “I will never have enough energy to go all night. Besides, I need to make sure I am well enough to continue on our journey tomorrow.”

“You’re brave, you know” Simon said, waving a hand at the bartender to order another drink. 

“What do you mean?” Isabelle asked curiously.

“You came along with your brothers, not caring about how much danger you could get yourself in” Simon explained. “Not many Princesses would do that.”

“Clary’s a princess” Isabelle pointed out.

“She wasn’t brought up the way you were” Simon said. “She’s used to always getting herself in danger.”

Isabelle glanced over her shoulder to watch as Jace and Clary danced, their laughs echoing all throughout the tavern. 

“Whats the deal with you and Clary anyway?” she asked.

Simon stiffened. “What do you mean? She’s my best friend.”

“Right” Isabelle said, nodding her head doubtfully. “And how does a simple farm boy like you become best friends with a Princess?”.

“We met when were five” Simon started, smiling fondly at the memory. “I was working on the farm with my mother and my sister. Clary and her mother needed to get some crops…and fast. So while Clary’s mother dealt with mine…Clary and I started to play. We both had such a good time that we agreed to meet up again. That was the start of our friendship. And we haven’t parted since.”

Isabelle smiled. “That is adorable. Are you going to marry her?”.

“What?” Simon choked. “No, I-I no.”

“I mean if she wasn’t the princess, would you marry her?” Isabelle asked, studying Simon carefully.

“She’s my best friend” Simon said firmly, drumming his fingers nervously against the bench. “She doesn’t feel that way about me anyway.”

Isabelle rested a gentle hand on Simon’s shoulder. “Well if I were her and I knew how much you cared about me. You’d be the only man I’d marry.”

Simon felt a blush rise in his cheeks and he smiled, teeth bearing and all. Before he could say something as equally kind to Isabelle, Magnus interrupted them with a devilish smile. 

“Alright, lovebirds” he chuckled, shrugging on his jacket even as sweat fell from his forehead. “I’m calling it a night. You two coming along with me?”.

“I think I’ll stay a little longer” Isabelle said, glancing over at Jace and Clary. “I’ve got to watch out for the real lovebirds.”

Simon followed her gaze and frowned. “Yeah I think I’ll stay here too. Gotta look out for Clary.”

“Suit yourself” Magnus sighed, humming to himself as he left the tavern.

**

Alec had attempted to fall asleep at least twenty-two times over the past couple of hours. But every time his eyes would fall shut, something would awake him and disturb the peace. Sleep deprivation wasn’t exactly Alec’s favourite thing, so that only added to the bad mood he was in. It seemed as though the whole world was against him. First; he was expected to work alongside an assassin, second; he was currently sitting in a stranger’s home who he could not trust himself around and third; he couldn’t bloody sleep. Nothing was going to plan. And even if Alec hadn’t agreed to come along on this journey, things at home wouldn’t have been any better. Maybe the whole world was really against him. A cool breeze drafted through the room as the front door opened, causing the small lamp in the room to flicker. Alec turned his head slowly, expecting to see his drunk siblings and their companions. But instead, he saw a cheerful Magnus humming to himself. Alec couldn’t tell if Magnus was drunk or not. The magician was walking steadily, one foot in front of the other. But he seemed overly happy — but that could have just been Magnus’ personality.

“Alexander” Magnus said once he caught Alec looking at him. “Have you just been sitting there this whole time?”.

Alec nodded.

“Oh dear” Magnus sighed.

He dumped his jacket onto the kitchen bench and kicked off his shoes. He started pouring himself a glass of water, only stopping once he realised he hadn’t offered Alec any. 

“Drink?” he asked.

Alec shook his head.

“Oh come on” Magnus said, smiling widely. “It’s just water…nothing I can poison you with.”

“I’m fine” Alec insisted.

Magnus poured Alec a drink anyway. Still humming to a song he’d been dancing to in the tavern, Magnus danced his way towards Alec. He handed the prince his glass before plopping himself onto the spare lounge. 

“Where are the others?” Alec asked, placing his glass of water onto the small bench in front the lounge.

“Having a wonderful time” Magnus said with a smile. “Jace and Clary were dancing when I left. Oh and Isabelle and Simon seemed to be enjoying each others company.”

Alec rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat. He knew that he shouldn’t be disappointed that his siblings were having fun, but the fact that Jace was willing to dance with Valentine’s daughter, an assassin, annoyed Alec beyond words. Magnus, noticing Alec’s frown, decided to change the topic.

“You look awfully tired, why don’t you head off to bed?” Magnus suggested. “There’s a spare bedroom at the far end of the hall. It’s my favourite room.”

“I’m fine” Alec said, avoiding Magnus’ gaze. “Besides, the others will be home soon and I have a feeling they are going to want a bed.”

“You could always share” Magnus pointed out.

“I’d rather not share with my siblings or those fugitives, thank you very much” Alec muttered distastefully.

“Well you could always share with me” Magnus offered with a smirk.

If it wasn’t for Alec’s sleep deprivation, he probably would have simply blushed and looked away. But he had had enough of Magnus’ ‘flirtations’ and ridiculous comments. They were inappropriate and unlawful.

“Why do you do that?!” he snapped.

Magnus looked a little taken back by Alec’s raised voice, but he composed himself before Alec could notice.

“Do what?” he asked.

“You know what!” Alec shouted, rising to his feet. 

Magnus remained seated, but he straightened up a little. “No, I don’t believe I do know what, my lord.”

“You’ve been doing it since I met you!” Alec said accusingly, turning around so that his back was to Magnus.

“Doing what?” Magnus asked. “Say it.”

Alec swallowed hard, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “Your comments. Y-you make them as though you were talking to…to a woman.”

“Well you’re not a woman” Magnus said slowly. “So what is it you’re trying to say here?”.

“I don’t know” Alec admitted, his voice quieting down. 

“You’re tired, my lord” Magnus said, rising to his feet. “I suggest that you sleep for the night. You can sleep in my bed so that the others have a bed for the night as well. Simon and Clary can share a bed, as can Jace and Isabelle. I’ll sleep here on the lounge.”

“You don’t have to” Alec started, but Magnus held up a hand to stop him. 

“You’re my guest” he said, smiling affectionately. “Besides, I’d much prefer it if you woke up happy rather than sleep deprived and grumpy.”

Alec nodded, running his fingers through his hair anxiously. He knew he shouldn’t have snapped at Magnus or accused him of something treacherous. But Alec was never one to make the right decision. He should have just kept his mouth shut — been polite to Magnus. But he’d snapped and made a fool of himself, yet again. The world really was against him.

“Magnus” he said, lowering his hand away from his hair. “I’m sorry I’m such a douche towards you.”

Magnus waved a hand at him. “You’re tired. I get it. I can get a little grumpy too sometimes.”

“It’s no excuse” Alec said. “You’ve been nothing but kind to me and my family. My behaviour is no way to repay you.”

“Alexander” Magnus said gently, taking one step closer to the prince. “You don’t have to apologise to me. I understand. And it seems that I might understand a little more than you do.”

Alec blinked in confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”.

“You’ll figure it out soon” Magnus smiled. “But for now, you really need to go get some beauty sleep.”

Alec managed a small smile. “Alright. Tell the others that I’m-“.

“I’ll take care of it” Magnus said, guiding Alec towards his bedroom. “You just get some sleep, okay?”.

Alec nodded. “Okay.”


	14. The Archer's Word

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 14! I really enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope you enjoy reading it. For all those of you who are interested, I thought I'd let you know that I've decided to make the sword and the magician part 1 of a series, therefore once I'm finished with this one, I'll be making a part 2. I have so many ideas and I just can't wait to share it with you guys. Thats of course if people want more...because that'd be awkward haha. Alright, hope you enjoy :')

Alec woke up the next morning feeling light and relaxed — a feeling he hadn’t felt in quite some time. He’d slept uncharacteristically well. Magnus’ bed was surprisingly comfortable, providing more than enough blankets to keep him warm throughout the cold night. Lying awake in the early hours of the morning with the sun piercing through the window, he could hear the faint sound of the neighbours shouting at their goats. Yawning, he crawled out from under the sheets, shivering as cool air shot through his body. His legs were stiff and his back cracked as he stretched out his arms. He shrugged off his shirt and threw it onto the bed, searching Magnus’ room for any clean shirts. He knew he should probably ask before he borrowed someone else’s clothing, but he doubted that Magnus would mind. Before he could get to it though, the bedroom door swung open and Magnus entered without warning. At the sight of the Prince, Magnus almost fell backwards. Alec’s bare chest and perfectly shaped abs caused Magnus’ jaw to drop and his heart to skip it’s necessary beats. The Prince’s lean muscles were hard and firm, nothing compared to his dominant hip bones though.

“My apologies” Magnus said, desperately trying to remove his eyes away from Alec’s body. “I didn’t realise you had awoken.”

Alec felt extremely vulnerable — standing half naked in another man’s bedroom. But he did feel some sense of pride with Magnus’ reaction. Despite his proud moment, he was quick to grab his shirt and hold it in front of his bare stomach.

“Do you have a clean shirt I could burrow?” he asked awkwardly. 

“Ah, yes of course” Magnus said, hurrying over towards his drawers. “What colour would you prefer?”.

“Uh, just black or brown thanks” Alec replied, rocking his heels back and forth as he waited. 

Magnus immediately found a clean black shirt that would easily fit Alec, smiling charmingly as he handed it to the prince. He didn’t bother to avert his gaze this time, watching as Alec’s stomach muscles flexed when he shrugged on his shirt.

“Thanks” Alec said once his shirt was on. “Are the others awake?”.

Magnus drew his eyes away slowly. “They sure are. Though, I’m not sure how well Jace and Simon are going to be. They seem to have drank a lot more than the rest of us.”

“Great” Alec murmured, starting towards the door. “I knew this was going to happen.”

He stormed out into the living room where he joined the others. Simon was sprawled out on one of the lounges, his hand pressed up against his forehead. Clary was at his side, only looking up when Alec entered to see who it was. Jace was on the other lounge, complaining about all the aches and pains in his head and stomach. Isabelle looked as though she were tending to him, but she was really just rolling her eyes.

“Never again” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Now we’ll be wasting precious time waiting for you all to recover.”

“And here I thought you might wake up in a better mood” Jace muttered through squinted eyes. 

Alec glared at him. “I was in a fairly good mood. Until now. You said you’d only get a couple of drinks.”

“We all got a little carried away” Isabelle sighed, looking up at her brother anxiously. “We’re sorry, Alec.”

“How long until Jace and Simon will feel better?” Alec asked, avoiding eye contact with all of them. 

“An hour or so for Simon” Clary said, looking just as annoyed as Alec felt.

“Maybe two for Jace” Isabelle sighed.

Alec threw his hands up in the air and stalked outside, slamming the front door shut behind him. Isabelle and Clary exchanged nervous glances whilst Magnus followed the young prince outside. Alec walked through the quiet streets, kicking up any rocks he came in contact with. He was walking terribly fast — Magnus had to jog to catch up with him. 

“Where are you going?” he asked as he struggled to keep up with Alec’s pace.

“I don’t know” Alec admitted, though he continued anyway.

“I’m guessing you’re angry at Jace and Simon” Magnus sighed. “I get it. You wanted to leave early. But will two hours really matter?”.

“Yes, it will” Alec said, not too unkindly.

“Alright, alright, stop!” Magnus said, yanking Alec by the arm to hold him in place. 

Alec stared at him, a questioning look in his eyes. “What?”.

“If you walk to far ahead, you might not find your way back” Magnus said, unsure of what else to say.

Alec raised an eyebrow. “This village is smaller than my castle. I’m sure I can manage.”

“You like archery, yes?” Magnus asked, trying to divert the conversation.

Alec looked a little taken back. “Yeah…what’s that got to do with anything?”.

“Well…it’ll take a while before your friends are recovered” Magnus started, his lip curling into a small smile. “And I know a good place not to far from here where the local children built some targets for their archery lessons.”

“So?” Alec asked, genuinely confused.

“So…” Magnus went on. “Why don’t I take you there and you can practice your archery skills.”

“I don’t have my bow with me” Alec sighed, sliding his hands into his pockets.

“That isn’t a problem” Magnus smiled. “The children keep theirs on a small shelf near the targets.”

“And they won’t mind me using their things?” Alec asked doubtfully.

Magnus waved a dismissive hand at him. “Of course not. You’re their prince, they’d be honoured.”

“And you’re fine with leaving four strangers alone in your house?” Alec asked, raising one eyebrow.

“Alexander” Magnus said quietly. “I couldn’t care less about the four idiots currently staying in my house. I just want you to be alright. I have a feeling that archery is the cure.”  
Alec managed a small smile. “You have no idea.”

**

Magnus, as promised, lead Alec to a small clearing in the woods that surrounded the village. Just as he had previously described to Alec, a target practice arena had been constructed by the village children. There were three targets scribbled onto the trees. Two of the targets were about twenty metres away, while the third was a good fifty. A shelf lined up with numerous amounts of bow and arrows stood only metres away, all sorts of crafted styles that Alec had seen many times before hanging on a rack. 

“The children really designed this?” Alec asked, too amazed to even blink. 

“They love archery” Magnus smiled. “They all want to be famous archers when they’re older.”

“Really?” Alec asked, sounding surprised. “I would have thought everybody would want to be a swordsman these days.”

“Everybody can use a sword” Magnus said, sounding bored. “But using a bow and arrow…not so easy.”

“Can you use a bow?” Alec asked curiously, glancing sideways at Magnus.

“I could probably trick you into believing I could” Magnus chuckled. “But I wouldn’t actually know, I’ve never tried.”

Alec wandered over to the shelf that held all the bow and arrows. He studied them all carefully before picking the one that was right for him. He then chose his arrows, taking one for each target. He ran his fingers along the feathered tips, smiling to himself as he felt Magnus’ watchful gaze.

“Are you going to pick your bow?” he asked.

What?” Magnus asked in surprise. “Oh no, I don’t do archery…or any weaponry for that matter.”

“Oh come on” Alec said, choosing a bow on Magnus’ behalf. “I could teach you.”

“I didn’t come here for a lesson, Alexander” Magnus sighed, though he walked towards the shelf anyway. “I came here in the hopes of archery calming you down.”

“And it did” Alec noted. “Thank you.”

He handed Magnus a bow along with three similar arrows. Magnus watched him with a doubtful gaze, not exactly sure whether the prince was playing him or whether he actually expected him to use a bow. Alec retreated towards the other end of the arena, steadying himself perfectly as he raised his bow. 

“I suggest you move out of the way” he told Magnus, smirking slightly when Magnus scurried off to the side. “Thats better.”

“So on a scale of 1 to 10…how good are you at shooting arrows?” Magnus asked.

Alec knocked an arrow into the air and sent it flying towards the first of the three targets. It struck the centre, causing Alec’s shoulders to release all of its tension in relief.

“So a ten then?” Magnus asked, impressed

Alec shrugged. “Only on my good days.”

Magnus, despite having no idea how to hold his bow or knock an arrow, stepped forward towards Alec. He wasn’t too nervous about firing a weapon he’d never used before — actually he was terrified. He hated looking a fool, especially in front of those he only wanted to impress. But there was some part of him, the part that rarely ever showed up, that wanted to look vulnerable in front of the prince. He lifted his bow awkwardly, glancing at Alec for approval. The Prince had raised eyebrows and was clearly trying to hold back a laugh.

“What?” Magnus asked with exasperation. “This is exactly how you held it!”.

Alec stepped forward and raised Magnus elbows a little higher, his firm hands gentle and soft. Magnus smiled at the touch, but he was quick to hide it before Alec could notice.

“Now your arrow will actually fly through the air” Alec chuckled before moving away.

Magnus rolled his eyes. “I knew that. Or at least…I would have figured it out.”

“Mhm sure” Alec snickered. “Go ahead. Shoot.”

Magnus peeled his eyes away from Alec and focused on the target that stood 20 metres away. He wasn’t sure how to release his arrow or whether he should close one eye, he just knew that he had to point the bow to where he wanted to shoot. Within seconds, he released an arrow and it went flying through the air, diving into one of the nearby bushes, no where near the target.

“See” he said, turning around to look at Alec. “I don’t do archery.”

Alec’s eyes travelled towards where the arrow planted itself in the bush, his lip curling into a small smile. He hadn’t expected Magnus to hit the target, but he was kind of hoping that the magician would perform one of his tricks. He’d assumed Magnus to be flawless, capable of anything and everything. But Magnus wasn’t to be an expert bowman — something Alec considered to be his own speciality.

“Well, you got somewhere” he said, still studying the arrow in the bush. “The first time I ever fired an arrow it pierced through my foot. I was five years old.”

“Ouch” Magnus said, pulling a face. “Who in the right mind gives a five year old a dangerous weapon?”.

“My grandfather” Alec replied, walking over to retrieve the arrow. 

“Oh yes…King Gideon Lightwood” Magnus said, rolling his eyes at the memory of the past King. “He was a bit of an idiot…it’s no surprise he allowed a child to shoot himself in the foot.”

“He wasn’t an idiot” Alec said in his grandfather’s defence. “He was an intelligent man who taught me a lot of things before he passed away.”

“Name one intelligible thing he taught you” Magnus challenged.

Alec handed him the bow, looking Magnus right in the eye. “Never to trust a magician.”

Magnus let out a soft chuckle before raising his bow to try again. He didn’t know why the young prince was forcing him to use a bow, but he very much enjoyed the amount of attention he was receiving. With his shoulders slacking off and his hands gripping the bow loosely, he looked like a clown trying to impersonate someone important. 

“Are you sure you don’t just want to have a go?” Magnus asked, shooting Alec a sideways glance.

Alec shook his head, smiling. “No, I’m quite alright. I find this highly amusing.”

“Well I’m glad you do” Magnus frowned. “Could you help me with this? It doesn’t feel right.”

Alec stepped forward and closed his hands around Magnus’ shoulders, directing him into a more appropriate stance that will improve his aim. Magnus almost collapsed into Alec’s arms as Alec held him, a strange longing sensation washing over him. He fought it off quickly though, trying to put all his focus into striking the target.

“Now…your elbows and shoulders need to be lined up” Alec explained, raising Magnus’ elbows until they lined up with his shoulders. “Like this. It just makes it easier for the arrow to point ahead instead of facing the ground.”

“Makes sense” Magnus noted, feeling slightly more comfortable in his new position.

Alec removed his hands from Magnus’ body and examined the way Magnus’ fingers brushed the string. He liked the stance Magnus was in, but the magician really needed to work on his actual process of sending the arrow into the air.

“Pull back on the string” Alec instructed, using the same tone of voice he would use if he were instructing his knights. Magnus did as he was told, only to lose grip on the arrow and send it falling to the ground.

“When I say pull back on the string” Alec sighed, lifting the arrow to hand back to Magnus. “I also mean keeping a grip on the arrow.”

Magnus took the arrow grumpily before re-positioning his bow. “I don’t do archery, Alexander. I don’t like this at all. I feel like a fool.”

“You have potential” Alec said with an encouraging smile. “You’d be helping me calm down if you try.”

“Alright…only for you” Magnus chuckled.

Alec looked away quickly before swallowing back the lump in his throat. Magnus turned away with a smirk and re-focused his gaze on the target. He pulled back the string like previously instructed, squinting his eyes to ensure his focus. 

“Pull back further” Alec instructed, his eyes planted on Magnus’ fingers as they pulled back the string.

Magnus did as he was told.

“Further” Alec pressed on.

If Magnus were to pull back any further, he feared that the string would snap.

“Keep going” Alec urged.

Magnus pulled further. “Alexander…the string…its going to snap.”

“No it isn’t” Alec said as he took a step forward.

He stood behind Magnus, examining just how far the string had been pulled. He moved his hand forward, letting it hover over Magnus’ unsurely.

“May I?” he asked.

“Please” Magnus insisted.

Alec enclosed his hand around Magnus’ as lightly as possible so that there was nothing intimate between them. Despite being the one enforcing the contact, Alec felt his heart hammer inside his chest, knocking the breath out of him. He pulled back the string with Magnus, trying not to focus too much on how close he was to the other man. Once he was satisfied with how much the string was pulled back, he removed his hand and stepped aside, allowing Magnus to have a reasonable amount of personable space.

“You can release” he said, and without further hesitation, Magnus let the arrow fly right through the air.


	15. The Recruit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda rushed this chapter so I have to admit, it's kind of crap. But anyway, here's chapter 15, I hope you enjoy :')

“Where did Alec and Magnus go?” Jace asked as he stepped outside into the open air. “And why are they taking so long? It’s almost been two hours.”

“Well maybe if you and Simon hadn’t gotten yourselves grossly drunk, we wouldn’t have lost Alec in the first place” Isabelle sighed, fidgeting with her weapons belt as she followed Jace outside. 

“We were just having fun” Jace said with a dramatic roll of the eyes. “Besides, you drank too.”

“I had like two drinks!” Isabelle said with exasperation.

Jace shrugged. “What ever you say, Izzy. But I saw you dancing, swinging your hips and all-“.

“Okay Okay!” Isabelle interrupted, holding up a hand to silence her annoying step brother. “I get it.”

Clary and Simon wobbled outside, glancing in between Jace and Isabelle in confusion as the two royals glared at each other. With still no sign of Alec, Clary was starting to wonder whether or not they’ll actually be able to complete their mission or if they’d just be stuck in Brooklyn Grove forever. 

“Should someone go find Alec?” she asked, glancing in between Jace and Isabelle, resting her eyes on Jace in particular.

“I’ll do it” Isabelle sighed. “If he’s angry and throwing a tantrum somewhere, I’m the only one who’ll be able to drag him back.”

“Fair enough” Clary nodded, trying to hide her small smile. 

“I’ll come with you” Simon offered.

They all turned to look at him with raised eyebrows.

“What?” he asked. “Isabelle might need help.”

“I doubt I’ll need any help” Isabelle smiled, looping her arm around his. “But sure, you can come along.”

“Alright, well you better hurry up” Jace sighed, fiddling with his sword as he slid it in and out of his scabbard. “We can’t afford to waste anymore time.”

Isabelle raised an eyebrow but said nothing, dragging Simon along with her as she started down the street. Jace and Clary both watched them, unable to comprehend what it was exactly that made Isabelle and Simon tolerate each other. 

“Funny that Isabelle will tolerate your annoying friend” Jace observed, shooting Clary a sideways glance.

“Simon isn’t annoying” Clary said, rolling her eyes. “He’s just overwhelmed by the task at hand.”

“He doesn’t want to kill his king?” Jace asked. 

“No, he does want to kill Valentine” Clary sighed. “He just doesn’t want to be put in that kind of danger.”

“So he’s a coward then?” Jace asked.

Clary glared at him. “Simon wasn’t brought up like you. He’s just a simple farm boy.”

“Thats right” Jace said, agreeing with her statement. “Thats why when we arrive in your kingdom, we’re leaving Simon with his family…safe and sound.”

“Thats just the thing” Clary sighed. “He won’t be safe and sound! My father will hunt him down and string him up. The safest place he could possibly be is with us.”

“I disagree-“ Jace started, but Clary held up a hand to silence him. 

“He’s staying with us” she said firmly. “And if you have a problem with that, you can shove it up your pretty pink ass.”

“How do you know my ass is pink?” Jace asked curiously, tilting his head to the side.

“Shut up!” Clary snapped, whirling around to fetch her horse.

**

“I think I saw ‘em” an old man walking his dog said with a sheepish smile. “The magician, Bane, he was taking your brother into the woods.”

Isabelle glanced over towards the woods wearily, unsure of why the two would start off like that. The old man was staring at her absentmindedly, amazed to finally be in front of the beautiful princess. Not many people in Brooklyn Grove had the chance to come into contact with the royals, this old man was one of very few. 

“Thank you, kind sir” Isabelle said, flashing him her dashing smile. “You be on your way now.”

The old man bowed his head. “You’re most welcome, my lady. I hope you find your brother safe and sound.”

“As do I” she said with a distant smile. “As do I.”

Isabelle took Simon by the sleeve and dragged him along with her as she started into the woods. She was determined to find her brother as soon as possible so that they can continue on their journey without wasting too much time. Valentine needed to be stopped, it was that simple. But pointless obstacles just had to stand in their way, using time against them. 

“Why do you think Alec and Magnus went into the woods?” Simon asked, trying to start up a conversation.

“No idea” Isabelle sighed, shoving her hair back behind her head. “I just hope they haven’t gotten into a punch up or something.”

“Do they dislike each other?” Simon asked.

Isabelle shrugged. “I don’t think Magnus has anything against Alec. But my lovely brother tends to be a rude and inconsiderate cow.”

“Right…” Simon said, releasing himself from Isabelle’s grip. “I think he’s quite splendid.”

“And why is that?” Isabelle asked him, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m not sure” Simon admitted. “He is going to be the future King…I suppose you have to like them.”

“He wants your best friend dead” Isabelle pointed out. 

“Thats true, you do have a point there” Simon said. “But surely there is some reason as to why Alec would be rude and bitter towards Magnus.”

Isabelle paused, glancing around the forest area around her. She could hear the faint sound of laughter in the distance, yet she couldn’t determine what direction it was coming from. It sounded like male laughter, yet she couldn’t be certain whether it was her brother or not. Ignoring Simon’s question, she started down another path, following the sound of male laughter. Simon followed her quickly, stepping over twigs and leaves as well as trying to avoid his shoes getting caught up in mud puddles and dirt. Isabelle was walking at a rapid pace, not stopping until she caught sight of her brother and Magnus in the distance. She hid behind a tree before she could be seen, pulling Simon along with her. 

“What are we doing?” Simon asked her, glancing in between their hiding spot and the two men in the distance. 

“Shhh!” Isabelle hissed. “Give me a few minutes.”

Simon stared at her quizzically but said nothing, dragging his gaze towards Alec and Magnus. The young prince and the magician were clearly enjoying themselves as they fired arrows into the air. Magnus was saying something to Alec, causing the usual emotionless prince to burst out with laughter. 

“Your brother has a beautiful laugh” Simon observed.

Isabelle raised an eyebrow. “Do you have a man-crush on my brother or something?”.

“Don’t be absurd!” Simon said, shooting her a horrified glare. “I’m just stating the facts.”

Isabelle rolled her eyes and started forward, heading straight towards Alec and Magnus who hadn’t yet seemed to notice their presence. Simon followed her hastily, bowing his head as if to avoid eye contact with anyone. 

“Hey boys!” Isabelle called out. “You two having fun?”.

Alec turned around in surprise, staring at his sister as though she’d just struck him over the head with a bat. Magnus, unlike Alec, smiled at the Princesse’s presence and did a little bow. Alec lowered his bow and moved away from Magnus, stepping towards the rack holding the bow and arrows. 

“I see one of the drunkards have recovered” Magnus noted, jerking his head in Simon’s direction.

“They both have, actually” Isabelle smiled. “We’ve been waiting quite a while for your return.”

Alec let out a loud groan and shoved his bow back onto the rack. The laughter that had been previously pouring out from Alec’s mouth had quickly disappeared, leaving Alec with the chance to return back to his serious and firm ways.

“We better go” he said, straightening up so he looked professional. “Where are Jace and…Clary?”.

“Waiting at Magnus’ place” Isabelle replied.

Alec barely even glanced back at Magnus before starting on his way through the woods, calling out for Isabelle and Simon to follow him. Magnus, uninvited to join the three musketeers, stood awkwardly in the centre of the arena, watching sadly as Alec disappeared through the trees. He had enjoyed their time spent together — enjoyed making Alec laugh. But as soon as Isabelle and Simon had appeared, Alec returned to his princely status and wore a poker face. Sighing, Magnus returned his bow onto the rack and shoved the arrows into their quiver. 

**

“And he’s back” Jace cheered as Alec stalked towards the horses. “Maybe we can actually do some saving the world now.”

“We’d already be gone by now if you and farmer boy hadn’t gotten drunk” Alec pointed out, his voice low and dark, causing Jace to back space on all of his future remarks.

“Oh Alec, why have you returned all grumpy?” Isabelle asked with a smirk. “Is it because we dragged you away from Magnus? Did you actually enjoy someone else’s company for once?”.

Alec narrowed his eyes, swinging himself on top of his horse with a cold expression. He chose not to reply to Isabelle’s questions and keep his mind on the day ahead. They had already wasted too much time. Clary and Simon both hopped onto their horse, murmuring to themselves as Simon explained to Clary where Alec had been all this time. Snickering, Isabelle did the same, swinging herself onto her horse smoothly.

“Did I miss something?” Jace asked curiously.

“Nothing at all” Isabelle chuckled.

“Right then” Jace sighed as he climbed onto his horse. “Shall we go?”.

“Ye-“ Alec started, but was interrupted by a loud shout coming from down the street.

Magnus was running towards them, waving his arms up in the air frantically as if to grab their attention. Alec stared at him in confusion, raising a curious eyebrow along with his fellow companions. They all watched with both fascination and curiosity as Magnus charged towards them, shouting like a dying man. Once he caught up, he almost passed out from the lack of air circulating through to his lungs. 

“Is something wrong?” Clary asked him curiously, her voice tainted with faint concern.

“N-not at all, pumpkin” Magnus said, struggling to catch his breath. “I uh, I just want to come with you all.”

“What?” Simon asked aloud, surprised at the shock in his own tone.

“What? Why?” Jace asked, looking in between Magnus and Alec who was noticeably looking away.

“I’m all alone here in Brooklyn Grove” Magnus sighed. “For some reason I can’t explain, this whole idea of stopping Valentine has attracted me.”

Isabelle glanced over at Alec suspiciously, but said nothing in the fear of starting trouble. 

“You can’t just come along with us” Alec said, desperately trying to hide his irritation.

“Why not?” Magnus asked.

“Because…because” Alec searched for words, but as he stared into Magnus’ pleading eyes, his tongue twisted and no words could form. 

“I think he should come” Simon said, ignoring the awkwardness surrounding them. “He did offer us his home for the night. Besides, if he’s able to make Alec laugh, we’ll need him around.”

Isabelle snorted and Jace blinked in confusion. Alec glared at Simon — not looking away until Simon retreated into himself and hid behind Clary. 

“Simon’s right” Isabelle said, smirking to herself without looking at Alec. “Magnus should come with us. He’s a magician after all. We might need to use some of his tricks.”

“I highly doubt-“ Alec started, but Jace was quick to interrupt him.

“Grab a horse, Magnus” Jace said. “You’re coming with us.”

Magnus bowed his head in delight before grabbing his black stallion named Maximus and climbing on board. He snuck a glance in Alec’s direction, catching the prince’s watchful gaze. Their eyes locked — blue on green — and neither of them seemed to be able to look away.

“Hoya” Jace said with the click of his tongue, charging forward with his horse. “Lets go.” 

The group were quick to follow him, exiting Brooklyn Grove without a simple glance behind them.


	16. Smells like a War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look I'm finally posting Chapter 16. I'm sorry this has taken a lot longer than the others, I've been really busy with school and homework and life's just been a little crazy lately. But here it is and I hope you enjoy :')

With miles and miles of forest ahead of them and no one else around, it really did start to feel like they were in the middle of nowhere. Alec liked the feeling of solitary — away from all of life’s troubles. Despite being alongside his siblings, an assassin, a farm boy and a magician, Alec felt rather calm and at home in the forest. Tall trees surrounded them — shielding them from the sun’s heated rays. However, no amount of trees could prevent the heat that washed over them, driving them to a painful thirst. Alec raised his bottle of water up to his lips desperately, shaking it until the last drop rolled down his throat. Jace and Simon did the same, groaning as their throats remained dry from the lack of water. 

“Who has any water left?” Jace asked, throwing his bottle to the ground grumpily.

Clary wriggled her bottle and frowned. “Not me.”

“I’m afraid not” Magnus said, only just realising now how foolish it was of him not to bring any food or water.

“I’m saving mine for myself” Isabelle stated matter-of-factly. “A girl needs to keep hydrated.”

Jace glared at her. “Has anyone ever told you how selfish you are?”.

“It’s self preservation, Jace” Isabelle said, rolling her eyes. “Just because you drank your water doesn’t mean I should have to give mine up.”

“She’s got a point” Alec said, agreeing with his sister.

“Oh, and who asked you?” Jace asked, glancing back at his step brother with narrowed eyes.

Alec shrugged. “I didn’t realise I had to be asked in order to express my opinions.”

“Can we just quit the arguing?” Clary asked, groaning as the sun found a gap in the trees and blinded her.

“You’ll soon learn, Clary, that my splendid brothers are incapable of peace-making and are experts at arguing” Isabelle chuckled, ignoring the death stares both Jace and Alec were giving her. “I’m afraid that quitting the arguing is quite impossible during this moment in time.”

“And you’re such an angel I suppose?” Jace asked her.

Isabelle smiled innocently. “Of course. I am pure at heart after all.”

Jace and Alec both scoffed while the others simply smiled, amused by the banter between the royal siblings. The remainder of the trip was accompanied by silence. Occasionally, Simon and Clary would start up a conversation, quickly joined in by Isabelle who easily fitted into their conversation. Jace lead the group in silence, too thirsty to be in his usual chirpy mood. Alec and Magnus rode at the back, silence overrunning them as they avoided starting up a conversation with one another. Magnus opened his mouth several times, ready to start up a conversation. But Alec would just sigh and ask Jace for directions. No matter how many times he attempted to speak, there was always something that Alec would do in order to stop him. He wasn’t sure what he had done to upset Alec. The last time they had spent time together, shooting arrows, Alec looked as though he were enjoying himself and having a great time. But now, Alec had returned to that quiet and reserved prince he had been since the beginning. 

After hours of antagonising riding, the exhausted group had finally made it to Valentine’s Kingdom. Greeted by dozens of black smiths, drunk men, angry guards, and dirty women, the group rode down the streets one after the other. Jace felt uncomfortable with all the narrowed stares, shifting in his saddle as he focused on the shadowed castle in the distance. Behind him, Clary and Simon bowed their heads as if to shield themselves from recognition. The people in the lower town were unlikely to recognise Clary as the princess, but she could not risk it none the less. Isabelle, unlike the others, seemed to approve of all the curious stares they were receiving. She flung her hair behind her shoulders and lifted her chin, letting everyone know that just by her presence, she was powerful. 

“I don’t remember it ever being like this” Magnus whispered to Alec as he glanced around at all the blank faces looking back at him.

“You’ve been here before?” Alec asked in surprise.

“In my younger years” Magnus replied, shifting in his saddle. “But I suppose none of that matters now.”

Alec stared at him for a moment, trying to determine whether the magician was hiding something or not. But when Magnus looked back at him, locking their eyes together, Alec could no longer focus on anything other than the green in the other man’s eyes. They weren’t the regular sort of green — not like the bright and magical ones that Clary wore. They were darker — almost brown. Yet, something about them was in fact magical, but Alec couldn’t identify what it was exactly. 

“Why is everyone staring at us?” Jace asked, glancing back at Clary.

“Not many people enter my father’s kingdom” Clary explained. “They’re surprised and curious.”

“They just look angry to me” Isabelle murmured.

They travelled further down the street, passing by markets and dismantled homes. Alec hated the feeling of all eyes on him, yet he couldn’t seem to avoid eye contact with all the curious villagers. One man in particular, standing by a fruit store with a young baby in his arms, stared at him, a pleading look in his eyes. Alec didn’t know what it was, or why the man would be looking at him like that, but he was suddenly aware of the lack of care Valentine’s people received. 

It didn’t take long before they had passed through all the lower towns and had found themselves cornered by guards in front of the castle steps. Two guards, one wearing his offical uniform and the other dressed in regular clothing, stopped them and ordered them off of their horses. Jace was hesitant to follow instructions, but once the others did as instructed, he sighed and did the same. Their horses were immediately taken away, causing Magnus to start a protest that resulted in one of the guards silencing him with a whip to the back. When Magnus fell to the ground, both Alec and Isabelle started for the guard who whipped him, but Clary and Simon were quick to hold them back. 

“Stop it!” Clary hissed. “You’ll just make it worse.”

Reluctantly, Alec and Isabelle calmed down and helped Magnus up off of the ground. The guards lead them up the castle steps, saying nothing of what was going to happen to them. Jace looked to Clary for some idea of where the guards were taking them, but Clary could only shrug and bow her head. A few more castle steps and they were inside the castle, walking down a long corridor that never seemed to end.

“Whats the plan exactly?” Magnus whispered as he leaned towards Alec’s ear.

He was still in pain from the whip lash on his back, but he was quick to hide it when he spoke to Alec.

“I don’t know” Alec replied, glancing unsurely at the guards. “I don’t think any of us really thought about it to be honest.”

“Fantastic” Magnus muttered distastefully, shoving his hands inside his pockets. “We’re all going to die.”

“Don’t be daft” Alec said. “We’ll think of something.”

“An optimist huh?” Magnus asked.

One of the guards glared back at Magnus, threatening him with the whip in his hand. 

“Be quiet” he hissed. “The both of ya!”.

They continued down the hall until they reached a large wooden door guarded by two large looking guards. Jace tensed at the sight of them, gripping the hilt of his sword as he did so. As soon as he did it, the guards ordered them to give up their weapons. Jace would have put up a fight if it wasn’t for how large and angry the guards were. Isabelle gave up her several daggers, groaning every time she slid one out of her boot and her belt. Simon had no weapons to give, and neither did Clary or Magnus. But the guards were reluctant to believe them. Alec handed over his sword with narrowed eyes, groaning unhappily as he did so. The guards only laughed and distributed the weapons amongst themselves.

“Where are you taking us?” Jace demanded. “You don’t even know who we are!”.

One of the guards, the one with the whip, rolled his eyes. “We know who you are, alright. You wear your royal seal like it’s a part of you. As for the Princess Clarissa, of course we know who she is.”

Clary bowed her head and let her hair fall over her face. But hiding was pointless now. The wooden doors in front of them opened to reveal a large golden throne room. It wasn’t as nice and charming as the throne room in New Yorkshire, but it was nice enough to be associated with the King’s room. The room was mostly empty aside from a middle-aged man sitting on the throne. The crown on his head immediately gave his title away. King Valentine. No one member of the group aside from Clary, Simon and Magnus had ever seen Valentine before. He’d been the villain of a dangerous myth that both Alec and Isabelle had heard stories about as a child. They’d heard descriptions of Valentine in his youth, but the King sitting in front of them looked nothing alike the description they’d drilled into their heads. 

“Clarissa” Valentine greeted, his voice loud and firm. “You’ve returned to us. I am so glad.”

Clary narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing, biting her tongue so that she kept herself from saying something she’d regret. Valentine dragged his gaze along the other members standing in his throne room, his eyes resting on Alec in particular, unhappy with his alive and well state.

“I see that you return a failure” Valentine noted as he returned his gaze onto Clary. “Why is Robert’s son still alive, Clarissa? He should be long dead.”

“She’s not very good with poisons” Alec informed him, answering instead of Clary.

Valentine smiled a humourless smile. “I suppose that must be true then. How can I help you all? It seems strange that the King and Queen would send all their children to my kingdom.”

“Vacation” Jace replied, spreading his arms out wide. “Heard there was good scenery around here.”

“You’re funny, I like that” Valentine chuckled, folding his arms over his chest. “But thats not the answer to my question.”

“I lead them here” Clary said, stepping forward despite her father’s deadly gaze. “They wanted you dead. So I offered them a hand.”

Jace tensed at Clary’s reveal, risking a glance back at Alec and Isabelle. Isabelle was glaring at Clary, clearly imagining herself dangling the other girl by the hair over croc infested waters. Alec, on the other hand, looked as though he had expected Clary to reveal their plan to her father. 

“I see” Valentine said, a viscous smile tugging at his lips. “You clearly haven’t forgiven me for threatening your little friend’s life.”

“I’ll never forgive you for that!” Clary snapped. “You know how much he means to me!”.

“I knew it was the only way to get you to do what I asked” Valentine explained, waving his hand out in front of him dismissively. “And it worked, didn’t it? Oh but maybe the motivation wasn’t great enough because the Prince is still alive and standing in MY THRONE ROOM!”.

They all flinched at the sound of Valentine’s voice. The thought of facing Valentine hadn’t previously fazed Jace, but now as he stood in his throne room with shivers racing up and down his spine, he understood why people were so afraid of him. He swallowed hard, trying to erase the fear from his features. But there was just something about Valentine’s black eyes that seemed to convince Jace that he’d be able to sense fear from a mile away.

“What do you want with us?” Alec asked, breaking the deadly silence.

“I don’t know” Valentine admitted, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. “Guards! Guards! Take Clarissa to her chambers…make sure there are guards outside her room at all times!”.

“No!” Clary protested as two guards took hold of both her arms and dragged her out of the room.

Simon stepped forward to intervene, but Isabelle pulled him back before he could do anything stupid. Once Clary was dragged out of the throne room, doors slammed shut behind her, Valentine clapped his hands together and peered down at his guests.

“As for you all…” he started, eyeing each and every one of them. “I think a night spent in the dungeons will do you good. At least until I decide what to do with you.”

“You can’t do that!” Isabelle shouted, narrowing her eyes as her face reddened with anger.

“Actually, my dear, I can” Valentine chuckled, spreading his arms out wide. “You’re in my kingdom now!”.

“You’ll be starting a war” Jace warned him. 

Valentine sniffed the air around him, grinning wickedly. “Smells like a war, doesn’t it?”.

The throne room doors sprung open and a middle aged man wearing a knights uniform burst inside, looking around the room desperately. Once his eyes rested on the King, he shivered, slowing his pace as he waltzed towards the front of the room. Simon smiled at the sight of the knight, relief evident as it washed all over his face.

“Who’s that?” Isabelle asked him.

“Luke” Simon replied softly. “He’s the King’s most trusted warrior. But he’s also like a step father to both me and Clary.”

The knight — Luke — bowed his head in front of his King, forcing himself not to make eye contact with the others in the room.

“Ah, Lucian” Valentine greeted with a somewhat pleased tone. “What do I owe this intrusion?”.

Luke straightened up, keeping his face expressionless and untainted with concern. “I heard the princess was back. Her mother wanted to know that she was safe…well.”

“Oh she’s very well” Valentine said, looking his knight over with curiosity. “You can tell Jocelyn that if she wants to see her daughter, she’s in her chambers.”

Luke looked relieved and his shoulders slumped. He was quick to hide it though, shielding himself with an emotionless barrier he had to carry around when facing Valentine. 

“Shall I go, your majesty?” he asked carefully.

“No” Valentine said, and when Luke gave him a quizzical look, he chuckled. “Calm yourself old friend, I simply need you to escort these prisoners to the dungeons.”

Luke glanced to his right, studying the prisoners for the first time since he entered the room. He saw Simon and swallowed hard, dragging his eyes towards the Prince, Princess and King’s ward of New Yorkshire. The other man, the Indonesian one towards the back, remained unfamiliar to him.

“Simon too?” Luke asked slowly.

Valentine nodded. “Well, yes, he is standing with the prisoners isn’t he?”.

“Yes, my lord” Luke sighed, grabbing the hilt of his sword and pointing it towards the young boy’s back. 

“Thank you, Lucian” Valentine smiled. “I expect you to join Jocelyn, Clary, Jonathan and I at dinner this evening.”

Luke kept his gaze off of Valentine when he nodded, guiding the prisoners towards the door. Despite being the King’s most trusted knight, Luke was walking on a tightrope whenever he was in his presence. He didn’t want to deliver Simon — who was like a son to him — to the King’s dungeons. But if he wanted to keep his head, he had to. Not only for his sake, but for the Jocelyn and Clary’s too.


	17. Prisoners

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 17, hope you enjoy :')

There weren’t enough free cells in the dungeon for the newest prisoners to be split up. Jace, Isabelle and Simon were thrown into one cell together with Magnus and Alec in another. Luke apologised to Simon before leaving the room, promising him that as soon as he could, he’d get them out of there. The other prisoners payed no attention to the newcomers, minding their own business as they stared up at the dark ceiling. 

“This is ridiculous!” Jace shouted, banging on the bars of his cell in anger.

“What did you expect?” Magnus asked from the cell next door. “We had no plan when we entered.”

“We did have a plan!” Jace snapped.

“Oh, and what was it?” Magnus asked.

Jace hesitated a moment, wrapping his hands around the cell door. The bars were cold, just like the air in the room. There were guards waiting outside the dungeons, leaving the prisoners to their own devices as they awaited their sentence.

“Not to get caught” he said finally, turning around to face his companions. “We have to get out of here.”

“State the obvious much” Simon murmured, slumping back against the bars. 

“The guards are right outside” Alec sighed, glancing over towards the door. “Even if we could break out of these cells. How on earth would we get out?”.

“We’d fight” Jace said simply.

“Against hundreds of guards?” Alec asked. “I don’t think so. We don’t even have our weapons.”

“We wait it out then” Isabelle said, slumping down beside Simon. “There’s no point exhausting ourselves.”

“Valentine will kill us, Iz” Jace said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

“Then why hasn’t he already?” Isabelle asked.

“He’s stalling” Magnus sighed, fiddling with his jacket. “He wants New Yorkshire and Idris to know that he’s keeping you all prisoner.”

“So what, he’s keeping us for ransom?” Isabelle asked.

“Valentine doesn’t want money. He never has” Magnus explained bitterly. “He wants war. Destruction follows his name and now that he has three out of four royal children…he’ll be using it to his advantage.”

“How long will it take until Mother and Father find out about this?” Isabelle asked.

Alec shrugged, glancing up at the small window above his cell. “I’m almost certain that he would have sent out a messenger…so a couple of days…maybe.”

“Mother and Father should have given us an army” Jace said irritably, running his fingers through his hair. 

“This was supposed to be a surprise attack, Jace” Alec sighed. “We were supposed to get in, kill the King, get out.”

“And they thought we could just do it?” Jace asked with exasperation. “We’re just kids!”.

“You’re blaming our parents for our failure?” Alec asked, moving closer to the edge of his cell.

“No, I, of course not” Jace said, quickly gathering himself. “We should have thought about it better. We’re young and inexperienced. And we brought this upon ourselves.”

“Can you all shut up?” asked an irritated prisoner. “Some of us here are trying to pray to our God.”

They all turned their attention to the prisoner in the cell across from them. He was hidden in the shadows, his facial features a mystery. But Magnus had recognised his voice — the voice of an old friend. He moved closer to the end of his cell to see better, to look through the shadows and examine the hidden prisoner. And as he got closer, his eyes fell upon a familiar and irritated looking face. Despite the circumstances, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Raphael?” he asked.

The prisoner stepped forward into the dim light, revealing his dark features. “Si. I see you’ve made a new set of friends, old friend.”

Alec, Isabelle, Jace and Simon looked between the prisoner and Magnus in confusion, their unspoken question loud enough for the guards outside to hear.

“You two know each other?” Alec asked.

Magnus nodded, his eyes remaining on Raphael.

“I thought it was you” Raphael said, ignoring Alec’s question. “Though I could not be sure. It’s been a long time since you left this place.”

Alec stared in confusion as Magnus lowered his gaze. The magician had previously informed him that he’d been in Valentine’s kingdom before, but Alec had had the impression that it had only been a visit. But maybe Magnus had taken up a more permanent residence. Alec said nothing as he looked between the two old friends, feeling as though he’d be intruding on a long-lost past. He glanced unsurely at Jace, Simon and Isabelle, earning a shrug from each and every single one of them. 

“I’ve been meaning to come back” Magnus said once he could find his voice. “In better circumstances of course. But I didn’t want to run into…“.

“Camille” Raphael finished for him. “I understand.”

“How is she?” Magnus asked.

Raphael shrugged, lowering his eyes ever so slightly to flicker towards Magnus’ companions. Alec was the only one to stare back at him — the others hurried to look away. Magnus followed Raphael’s gaze and sighed, giving Alec and apologetic look. 

“Camille was an old friend” he explained, though he wasn’t sure why he needed to. “Partner, I should say.”

Alec didn’t know why, but that small piece of information seemed to cause a knot to form inside his chest. He hardly knew Magnus, and it was clear that there was much about his past that would remain unknown. But he had gotten the impression that Magnus was like him — into the same gender. And as disgusting as Alec thought that was, he had managed to find comfort in that. But clearly he had been wrong, he’d misread Magnus’ intentions and now he felt like a fool.

“Right” he said once he found his voice. “You don’t need to explain to us. We couldn’t care less.”

Magnus searched Alec’s face for a moment, unable to hide his frown. But when Alec just looked away and fiddled with his nails, Magnus took it as his cue to return to the conversation with Raphael.

“Well?” he asked. “How is Camille? Is she well?”.

“I wouldn’t know” Raphael said cooly. “She left about three months ago.”

“Oh” is all Magnus could say.

“How’s Ragnor?” Raphael asked.

“Still Irritable” Magnus smiled. “But he is well.”

“I’m glad” Raphael said before retreating back into the darkness of his cell.

The next few hours were spent in silence, accompanied by a few rain drops that started tapping against the window. It wasn’t the best of situations, but the whole group had managed to catch up on some sleep.

**

Clary’s chambers were nice. Or at least, it would have been if there weren’t two guards standing outside her bedroom door as well as one actually inside her room. She’d been locked up in her room before — but she never complained. It was better than the cold and wet dungeons. It had been hours since she’d last seen Simon and the others. She feared for their lives. The guard in her room insisted on remaining silent, only opening his mouth to offer her food or water. She’d sat on her bed, curled up in her sheets for hours. The boredom and worry that consumed her had finally made her snap, bolting straight towards her door. Before she could open it however, the guard stepped in front of it cooly.

“I can’t let you go, princess” he said, giving her a pained expression.

“Please, I need to find my mother” she said, her voice pleading. “What was your name again?”.

The guard looked surprised to be asked of his name, but he didn’t falter for too long before he answered.

“My name is Mark” he said. “Mark Blackthorn.”

Clary studied him for a moment, dragging her eyes through his blonde curls and his blue-green eyes. He looked young, way to young to be trusted guard. He couldn’t have been older than her — sixteen maybe. She’d seen him around before, usually with a younger boy with the same eyes.

“Mark” she said, lowering her voice so that the guards outside couldn’t hear her. “I understand that you can’t let me go. But…could you do me a favour?”.

“Do you need food or water, princess?” Mark asked, moving to open the door.

Clary stopped him quickly. “No, no I’m fine. I need you to retrieve my mother. She’ll want to see me.”

“I don’t know if I-“ Mark started, but Clary held up a hand to stop him.

“My father can hold me prisoner as long as he likes…but I do need to see my mother” she said firmly.

Mark let out a reluctant sigh before bowing his head. “As the princess wishes.”

When Mark left the room, Clary was relieved to finally have a few minutes alone. She paced the room in front of her bed, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she tried to devise up a plan to save Simon and her newly found acquaintances. She knew that before they’d entered the kingdom, they hadn’t done any planning. That was the problem — they’d walked into this blind. She knew that in order to defeat Valentine, there had to be a plan. But first, she had to free her friends. When the door opened and Mark returned, Clary was relieved to see her mother enter behind him. Jocelyn Fairchild was the Queen, Clary’s mother. Many people mistook Clary for her mother, for they shared the same red hair and green eyes. Jocelyn Fairchild was a beautiful woman, inside and out. It was a mystery to Clary as to why her mother would have ever married her father. 

“Clary” Jocelyn greeted as she wrapped her arms around her daughter. “I had feared the worst.”

Clary buried her head into her mother’s shoulder, letting a few tears fall before she re-collected herself. Her mother was an expert at helping people escape prison. She had helped so many people, one being Simon. If anyone could get her friends out of prison, it was Jocelyn.

“Mother, I need to speak to you alone” Clary said, glancing over at Mark discreetly.

Just because Clary couldn’t order young Mark Blackthorn out of the room, it didn’t mean that Jocelyn couldn’t. Jocelyn was the Queen, containing some of the power over guards.

“Leave us” Jocelyn said, looking over her shoulder to look at Mark. “Take a break, you’ve worked to hard today.”

“As your Queen wishes” Mark said with a bow, opening the door to leave with only slight reluctance.

Once Mark was gone, Jocelyn returned her gaze onto Clary. “What is it, darling?”.

“I came back here with some…friends” Clary started, her hands trembling at her sides as she remembered the possibility of her friends being dead. “And well, father has them locked up in the dungeons. I need to get them out…Simon’s with them.”

“Oh Simon” Jocelyn sighed, taking Clary’s hands and guiding her to the bed.

They both took a seat, their eyes locked.

“I need to get him out, mother” Clary said, her voice shaking.

“Who is he with?” Jocelyn asked. “What kind of friends did you bring with you?”.

Clary swallowed hard, knowing that her mother would not like the answer. “The Prince and Princess of New Yorkshire, King Roberts Ward, and a magician from Brooklyn Grove.”

“Oh dear” Jocelyn said, using one hand to cover her face. “Isn’t the Prince supposed to be dead?”.

“He’s alive” Clary said, and she was actually grateful. 

“Your father will not be pleased” Jocelyn said with a familiar sadness.

“He isn’t” Clary said. “And I fear what he will do to them. Thats why I need your help.”

Jocelyn stared at her in confusion. “But what can I do? You know your father will not listen to me.”

“No, I know that” Clary sighed, pulling her hands out from her mother’s grip. “I need you to help me free them. I know you can do it. You’ve done it before with Simon, Luke…”.

“Clary, I can’t” Jocelyn said with a regretful tone.

“Yes you can!” Clary insisted. “You’re an expert!”.

Jocelyn shook her head, standing up to move away from Clary. It was true, yes, she had been able to free Simon and Luke from their prison cells. But that had been a great risk and it almost cost them their lives. Valentine would never kill her — but he had no problem with killing those she truly cared about. Luke had almost died. She did not want to risk that again, especially if Simon is involved. As for the others, she had no business with them. Of course she did not wish them death — but they were nothing to her.

“Mother please” Clary begged. “If you don’t free them…stop Valentine…there will be war.”

“A war was always going to happen” Jocelyn said, shaking her head.

“Thats why we need to stop him” Clary said, reaching forward to grab her mother’s hands. “Thats why we need to free my friends and…and kill Valentine.”

Jocelyn’s eyes widened, and for a moment, she looked truly surprised by Clary’s suggestion. But she’d be lying to herself and Clary if she said the same thought hadn’t crossed her mind. Valentine needed to be stopped and it seemed that death would be the only contender. 

“Alright” Jocelyn said finally, her voice clear and determined. “I’ll help free your friends and then…and then we stop Valentine.”


	18. Meeting the Devil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, here's chapter 18 !! Hope you enjoy :')

Minutes soon turned to hours while waiting in the cold and wet dungeons. Jace and Isabelle had fallen asleep, catching up on long lost sleep. Magnus leaned back against the end of his cell, tapping his foot to the whistling of another prisoner. Alec and Simon had managed to start a quiet conversation — mainly about the Kingdom and how they’d plan to escape. The conversation didn’t get very far though before another prisoner, one who had been previously whistling, interrupted them.

  
“There’s no way out lads” he said matter-of-factly. “Valentine has some high security around here.”

“I’ve escaped before” Simon told the prisoner. “It’s quite simple, actually.”

“The only reason you escaped, farm boy, is because the Queen helped you” the prisoner snarled.

“The Queen helped you?” Alec asked, looking at Simon with a curious expression.

“She’s lovely” Simon said with a smile. “She’s kind of like my second mother.”

“If she’s so lovely…why’d she marry Valentine?” asked the prisoner. 

“Everyone makes mistakes” Simon said defensively. “Besides, Valentine wasn’t always so bad.”

“Hey, can you go back to the whistling?” Magnus asked, cocking his head to the side as he looked around the dungeon for the other prisoner. “I liked it.”

The prisoner did as he was asked and began to whistle again. It may have pleased Magnus, but Simon and Alec both found it rather annoying. They said nothing though, returning to their own private conversation with hushed voices. They were talking through the bars, which was easier said than done. The bars were ice cold to the touch, and whenever either of them leaned in to talk, their cheeks brushed against the bar and burned their skin. It was that cold that it _burned_ their skin. 

“How long does it take to kill us?” Alec asked tiredly as he bashed his head back against the wall.

“He’s probably designing our torture rooms” Magnus said with a bitter smile. “You know, for when he gets bored.”

“Why bother with that stuff?” Alec asked, pulling his legs up towards his chest. “He wants me dead, probably Jace and Isabelle too. Why hasn’t he just killed us already?”.

“He wants your parents to know” Simon sighed. “We’ve already been through this.”

“No, I know that” Alec said with slight irritation. “But why? Why does it matter so much to him?”.

Simon shrugged and Magnus said nothing, leaving Alec with a question to reflect on for the next couple of hours.

 

**

 

Jocelyn and Clary had managed to make it out of Clary’s chambers, bribing the guards with gold and jewellery. It hadn't been that difficult due to the fact that most of the lower class guards were more loyal to their Queen than their cruel King. They didn’t make it far down the hall though before the Prince Sebastian cornered them. The Prince Sebastian’s real name was Jonathan, but he only ever allowed his parents to call him that. To everyone else, he was the Prince Sebastian. Sebastian looked exactly like his father, white hair and black eyes. It always amazed Clary how different they were in looks — even though they were siblings. She’d never been close to Sebastian, in fact, she despised him. He was cruel and dangerous — a lot like his merciless father.

“Mother…Clarissa…” he greeted with a smug smile. “Where are you two off to in such a hurry?”.

“Nowhere” Jocelyn lied.

The Queen feared her son as much as she feared her husband. Despite her attempts to raise Sebastian to be a true and just King, he’d turned out to be a lot like his father. He did not care for his mother, he thought of her as just the woman who gave birth to him. The only respect he had for anyone was for his father. But even that, was on a very thin line. His interest in Clary, however, was a mystery. 

“Thats a lie and we both know it” Sebastian said quietly, stepping forward towards Clary. “And aren’t you supposed to be in the safety of your chambers?”.

“Jonathan” Jocelyn said warningly. 

He peeled his eyes away from Clary to glare at his mother. He hated to be called by his real name, especially by her, but he allowed it just the same. He looked as though he wanted to say more, but his servant appeared down the hall, shouting his name in a desperate tone. 

“What is it, Allen?” he asked, turning around abruptly. 

“S-sorry to bother you, my lord” Allen stammered, slowing his pace as he approached the prince. “But you’re needed in the NightShade tavern.”

“Why?” Sebastian demanded.

Allen glanced over at the Queen and the Princess, unsure of whether he should answer Sebastian’s question in front of them. Sebastian followed his gaze and understood his servant’s hesitation. With a quiet sigh of disapproval, he turned around.

“You two can be on your way” he said, his voice cool. “But stay out of trouble.”

“Of course” Jocelyn said with slight bitterness. “I would suggest the same to you.”

They hurried down the hall, their footsteps quickening as they mounted down the stairs. They didn’t want to still be in the hall in case Sebastian changed his mind. He was an angry boy — one that they constantly feared.

“What do you think he’s needed for at the tavern?” Clary asked curiously as they ventured through the servants quarters. 

“He probably owes some money” Jocelyn sighed. 

“Money? He can’t give anyone _our_ money!” Clary said, alarmed.

Jocelyn gave her daughter a warm smile. “Of course he can’t. And he won’t. He’ll simply kill them.”

“Just like that?” Clary asked, though she wasn’t surprised.

Jocelyn nodded. “Just like that.”

Another staircase appeared around the corner, one that lead to the dungeons on the lower floor. Clary was surprised at how confident her mother was with her way around the palace. She had assumed that her mother would have to guess her away around — considering Valentine kept her mostly cooped up in her room all day. 

“How many guards will be on duty?” Clary asked quietly.

“Normally, one or two” Jocelyn sighed. “But because the Prince and Princess of New Yorkshire are here, there could be more.”

“So what do we do?” Clary asked.

Jocelyn slid one hand into a small pocket on the left side of her dress, fiddling through it until she found what she needed. Clary watched in silence as her mother held out a sleeping potion in her hand. She had seen it many times before — only because her father used it against them too many times to count.

“You’re going to put the guards to sleep?” Clary asked with a raised eyebrow. 

Jocelyn smirked. “Of course. I’ve never met a guard who hasn’t enjoyed a good bottle of rum.”

“Good thinking” Clary smiled. “But how do we get the rum?”.

“Leave that to me” Jocelyn said as she glanced back over at the servants quarters. “I can get that.”

 

**

 

Jace woke up to an incessant whistling noise coming from the cell towards the end of the dungeons. He wanted to yell at the whistle bearer as soon as he awoke, but when the door to the dungeons burst open, he quickly closed his mouth. A young man with hair as white as snow walked in, his long stride causing the other prisoners to shuffle to the back of their cell. Even Simon — who’d previously been playing eye spy with Isabelle — retreated into himself as the man entered. The man walked straight towards Jace’s cell, his black eyes wide and curious. When he caught sight of the newest prisoners, he smiled a wicked smile, sending shivers down all of their spines. 

“Ah, this is much better than the stupid old tavern” he said with a wide smile. “How are we all?”.

No one answered, which only seemed to make the white haired boy laugh. 

“I’m Sebastian” he said as though someone had asked for his name. “The Prince and future King.”

Still, no one said a word.

“Which one of you is Prince Alexander?” he continued on, dragging his eyes across the four males sitting in the cell.

“I am” Alec said after he cleared his throat.

Sebastian’s eyes lingered on Alec for a moment before he smiled. “Wonderful. As two future Kings, I think we should have a little discussion.”

“No ones having a discussion with anybody” Jace said firmly, standing up from his crouched position to walk closer to the foot of his cell. “Especially not with you.”

“You must be the King’s ward” Sebastian smiled, looking Jace up and down with mild interest. “Aren’t you a tough one? I always imagined you to be a whiny spoilt brat.”

“Oh so like you then?” Jace asked.

Sebastian chuckled. “I like you, you’re funny.”

“Great” Jace said, wrapping one hand around the bars standing in between himself and the prince. “Then have a discussion with me instead.”

“Jace” Alec said firmly, standing up in record speed. “What are you doing?”.

Jace ignored him, waiting for Sebastian’s reply.

“Why would I want to talk with you?” Sebastian asked.

“You might find me more interesting” Jace said with a bitter smile. “Alec can be pretty boring.”

“Thats not true-“ Alec started, but Magnus hit him lightly on the arm to stop him.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “You do realise that by ‘discussion’ I’m not actually referring to a friendly chat.”

“Jace, don’t” Isabelle warned, standing up to move beside him. 

“Great” Jace said, ignoring his step sister. “Even better.”

“It’s about time my father allowed me to have some fun” Sebastian smirked, taking out a key to unlock the cell. “I’ve been rather bored playing with helpless villagers.” 

Jace narrowed his eyes at the Prince but said nothing, allowing himself to adjust to the fear that threatened to consume him. He had a plan, well, more like half of one. And if he screwed up, he wouldn’t just be risking his own life, but his companions lives as well. As soon as his cell door was opened, he lunged forward at Sebastian, only just managing to knock him off of his feet. And not in the good way. Sebastian fell back onto the ground, his head smashing against the cell behind him. 

“RUN!” Jace shouted at Isabelle and Simon, but Sebastian was up on his feet before they could even think to move.

He grabbed Jace by the throat and slammed him against the cell, his sharp nails digging into the blonde boy’s neck until blood started to dribble down.

“You shouldn’t have done that” he laughed, his eyes darkening.

Jace struggled against Sebastian’s grip, but there was no use. 

“Very noble of you, I should say” Sebastian continued, his lip curling into a smile. “Though you were stupid to think it would work.”

“You didn’t look all that strong” Jace growled. “So I guess looks can be deceiving.”

“Oh yes they can” Sebastian agreed, yanking Jace forward so that their faces were only centimetres apart. “I’m the devil in disguise.”

He smiled wickedly, white teeth glowing and all. He dragged Jace towards the door, gripping him by the arm and the throat. Isabelle shouted out Jace’s name, but there was nothing she could do to stop Sebastian from taking away her step brother. Once the door to the dungeons slammed shut, Isabelle fell to her knees.

“What are we going to do?!” she sobbed, letting tears fall from her eyes.

Simon moved towards her, seating himself beside her. “I don’t think we can do anything.”

“He’s going to kill him, isn’t he?” Alec asked, his voice barely a whisper.

“No…he’s going to do something worse” Simon said. “He’s going to torture Jace until he wished he was dead.”

“Did we just meet the devil?” Isabelle asked, wiping away her tears.

Simon wrapped one arm around her. “Where the devil lurks…God isn’t to far away.”

“Where is God now?” Magnus asked. “I don’t see him.”

“He’s not going to come around with an attitude like that” Raphael said, speaking for the first time since his last appearance.

Magnus rolled his eyes. “Well lets just hope that he decides to show up before that devil white boy kills young Jace.”

“I think we should all say our prayers” Simon said quietly, bowing his head. “Thats all we can do.”


	19. Free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter nineteen for y'all! Hope you enjoy :')

“Is that the Rum?” Clary asked, staring at the large green bottle in her mother’s hands. “It smells disgusting.”

“Men like to drink the most awful things” Jocelyn sighed. “But yes, this is the Rum. This is our key to our little rescue mission.”

Clary held the bottle of Rum carefully as her mother poured the sleeping potion into it. The potion did nothing to change the looks — not that the guards would focus on the appearance of the rum anyway.

“So do we what, offer it to them or something?” Clary asked.

“ _We_ …do nothing” Jocelyn sighed, taking the bottle into her own hands. “You’re staying back here until the guards fall asleep.”

“But I want to help” Clary protested.

Jocelyn placed a gentle hand on her daughter’s cheek. “I know you do…but its too dangerous. Besides, they might suspect something if you’re there with me.”

“Are you sure?” Clary asked.

“I’m sure” Jocelyn smiled.

Clary watched in silence as her mother started down the hall, her footsteps loud and firm until they faded into nothing. Clary trusted her mother, she did, but she felt as though she should be there with her, saving her friends. 

Jocelyn fixated a plastered smile on her warm face. She was used to having to fool guards and make them believe in what pretty lies she had to tell them. There were three guards standing in front of the dungeon’s stone hard wall, one more than usual. Jocelyn recognised them straight away. Sir Arthur and Sir Andrew, two brothers who were the kindest of souls. She felt bad for what she was about to do to them, they weren’t guilty of any crimes. The other guard beside them was Sir Nicholas, a younger guard who’d only started working there in the castle a couple of days ago. The sleeping potion wouldn’t kill them, but Valentine might if they were caught. As she approached them, they all bowed their heads, smiling at the presence of their Queen.

“Hello gentlemen” she greeted, holding the rum in her hands carefully as he curtsied. “How has your day been?”.

“Boring if we’re being honest, my lady” Sir Andrew said quietly, his eyes quick to notice the rum in the Queen’s hands. “What about yours?”.

“Mine has been filled with worry” Jocelyn sighed, faking a pained expression. “But I’m alright now.”

“Is the Princess alright, my lady?” Sir Arthur asked.

“Yes, she is quite well” Jocelyn replied, giving him a warm smile. “I have brought a gift for all three of you. Nicholas, I’m sure you’re old enough to have some rum?”.

Nicholas bowed his head quickly before answering. “Yes, my lady. Thank you, my lady.”

“It’s for you all to enjoy” she said as she handed the bottle over to Sir Arthur. “I know how hard you all work. And in my opinion, you don’t get enough gratitude.”

They all bowed their heads in sync. 

“You’re too kind, my lady” Sir Andrew smiled. “Thank you.”

Jocelyn gave them all an individual smile. “Enjoy, gentlemen. I’ll be on my way.”

When Jocelyn returned, Clary was more than relieved to see that she no longer held the bottle of rum. 

“Is it done?” she asked anxiously.

“It is” Jocelyn sighed, looking almost regretful. “Give it ten minutes and I can guarantee you the guards will be in a long and peaceful sleep.”

“Thank you” Clary breathed.

“Don’t thank me yet” Jocelyn warned her. “Who knows what the future will bring.”

 

**

 

The first thud coming from outside the dungeons was a loud one, followed by the sound of a vars smashing. The second was only seconds after, mimicking the first one. The third one was merely a small tap, but the whole dungeon heard it. 

“Is someone outside?” Isabelle asked unsurely, listening carefully for a possible third thud.

“Not anymore” Raphael said with a light chuckle. “The guards have taken a little nap.”

“What are you talking about?” Alec asked suspiciously. 

“Every time the farm boy’s in prison” Raphael started, gesturing towards Simon. “The Queen always rescues him. Her favourite thing to do is put the guards to sleep.”

“And that works?” Isabelle asked with a raised eyebrow.

Raphael nodded. “Every damn time.”

“So…this is a rescue mission?” Alec asked.

“I think so” Simon said with a small smile. “Clary must of convinced Jocelyn to help us.”

“Thank God” Alec murmured as he rested his head back against the cell door.

“But what about Jace?” Isabelle asked.

“We’ll tell the Queen that Sebastian has him” Alec said. “She’ll help him, right?”.

Simon gave him a doubtful look. “Sebastian is a lot stronger than the Queen. I doubt there will be anything she can do.”

“But she’s the Queen” Isabelle argued. “Surely her authority will-“.

“Things are different here” Raphael interrupted. “The Queen means nothing.”

“How is that possible?” Isabelle asked.

“The only reason Jocelyn is Queen is because she married Valentine” Raphael explained. “She was just a simple peasant girl beforehand.”

“The King married a peasant?” Alec asked, surprised.

“He could marry whoever he wanted” Raphael sighed. “And he chose Jocelyn Fairchild.”

“He was lucky” Alec muttered, and he couldn’t help but glance over to Magnus who was already watching him.

“He was lucky, yeah” Simon said, shifting uncomfortably in his seated position. “But the Queen wasn’t.”

“She got to become Queen” Isabelle said. “How is that unlucky?”.

“Valentine is a cruel King…he prevents her from doing a lot of things” Simon said.

“Does he hurt her?” Alec asked curiously.

“Not physically” Simon admitted. “But he’s a manipulative cow. He finds ways to hurt her, trust me.”

“Did she love him?” Isabelle asked. “You know, when she married him?”.

Simon nodded. “Yeah, I believe she did. But he wasn’t as bad back then. In fact, I considered him a decent man.”

“So what happened?” Alec asked. “Why is he the way he is now?”.

Simon shrugged. “Jealousy. Power. Everything that makes a man become the devil.”

“Personally I think Prince Sebastian is worse” Isabelle snarled.

“Oh he is” Simon agreed. “Valentine is nothing compared to his son.”

 

**

 

All three guards were passed out and lying quite uncomfortably on the stone hard floor. Jocelyn and Clary were quick to approach them, snatching the keys from Sir Andrew’s pocket and using it to open the dungeon’s door. Jocelyn fumbled with the lock for quite some time, causing anxiety to creep up on them like an unwanted shadow. 

“Is it the right one?” Clary asked anxiously.

“Yes” Jocelyn said as she shoved the key in a little harder. “The lock is just being a pain in my backside.”

“Mother!” Clary gasped, and they both giggled.

The door swung open and they stepped inside, immediately greeted by a gust of cold wind that sent shivers down their spine. Solemn faces looked up at them through the darkness, painful scars and pleading eyes pierced into their hearts, forcing the Queen and the Princess to look away.

“Simon?” Clary called out nervously. “Are you in here?”.

“Clary?” Simon’s voice rung out loudly amongst the rusty prison cells. “Oh Clary, its really you!”.

Clary ran straight towards the cell Simon and Isabelle were being kept in. Beside them, were Alec and Magnus who looked just as pleased to see her as she was to see them. But her pleasure quickly faded once she realised that there was no sign of Jace.

“Where’s Jace?” she asked.

“Sebastian took him” Simon sighed, swallowing hard. 

“Oh god” Clary gasped, covering her mouth to hide her dread.

“Clary you need to get your friends out of here” Jocelyn said quietly.

“But what about Jace?” Clary asked.

Jocelyn started unlocking Simon’s cell, her eyes concentrated and her lips pursed. If it weren’t for the ageing wrinkles creeping up around her eyes, she would have looked just like Clary. The cell door flung open and Simon and Isabelle didn’t hesitate to escape. Jocelyn quickly turned to Magnus and Alec’s cell, her eyes widening once they met Magnus’. 

“Mother?” Clary asked, looking in between her mother and Magnus. 

Jocelyn cleared her throat and removed her gaze, looking to Clary with a sad smile. “I’ll find Jace, but for now, you need to get these four out of here.”

She opened the cell door and let Magnus and Alec pass through, her eyes sad and disconsolate. 

“Where do we go?” Clary asked frantically.

“Take them to the lower towns. Keep your heads down and speak to no one. Then take them to Luke’s house…he’ll take care of them” Jocelyn sighed, though she didn’t look too sure.

“Luke’s the one who brought us here” Simon said. “I know he didn’t want to…but still.”

“We can’t let him risk his life for us-” Clary started, but Jocelyn held up a hand to stop her.

“We don’t have time for this conversation, Clary” she said firmly. “Take your friends to Luke’s house and watch your back. I’ll find Jace. But you…you need to go before the guards realise what happened.”

“But mother-“ Clary glanced frantically between her mother and her companions.

Magnus, Alec and Isabelle looked just about ready to leave. But both Clary and Simon were hesitant to lead them into a possible ‘enemies’ house. They trusted Luke — but Luke had betrayed his loved ones before. 

“Go!” Jocelyn shouted, slamming the cell door shut. “That is an order!”.

Biting her lip, Clary took hold of Simon’s hand and started towards the door, quickly followed by Alec, Isabelle and Magnus. Jocelyn watched and waited in silence, accompanied by curious stares from the remaining prisoners.

“Not a word” she told them. “Your time will come.”


	20. Distance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 20!! Hope you enjoy :')

Luke’s house was a lot smaller than Alec had originally imagined. Considering Luke was the King’s most trusted guard, it was more than a surprise when Clary informed them that Luke didn’t live in the castle, he lived in a small cobblestoned house in the lower town. The house couldn’t have been cheap, it’s expensive materials were written all over its beamed windows and carefully bricked walls. The small wooden door that stood at the entrance displayed a small sign reading ‘Lucian Graymark’. 

“This is it” Clary said as she gestured around at the house. “This is Luke’s house.”

“Is he home?” Isabelle asked quietly, risking a peek inside the small window beside the door.

“No” Simon said with a relieved sigh. “He’ll be working in the castle until at least midnight.”

Clary opened the door slowly, peeking inside with noticeable hesitance. Despite Simon’s information surrounding Luke’s work hours, a small part of Clary feared that Luke would just appear out of nowhere and arrest them. Simon and Isabelle followed in after her, wiping their muddy shoes on the doorstep. Alec glanced sideways at Magnus, noticing how distant and distracted he was acting. Ever since they’d entered Valentine’s kingdom, Magnus was acting different, but Alec couldn’t explain it. He didn’t even know Magnus that well, clearly, considering Alec had spent most of their time together pushing him away. But there was so much about Magnus that intrigued him — he couldn’t shake the feeling that Magnus was-

“You’ve been looking at me for quite some time now, Alexander” Magnus said with a lopsided grin. 

Alec drew his eyes away quickly, stepping inside the house before Magnus could capture his blush. His eyes darted straight towards the fireplace and living room, thankful for a welcoming space to retreat to for a couple of hours. He could hear Magnus entering the room behind him, but he was careful not to turn around. The wooden floorboards creaked underneath him as he started towards the expensive furniture that littered the floor. Isabelle and Simon took a seat at the dining table, both seeming to enjoy each other’s company. Clary looked on edge, pacing the area in front of the fireplace like a jumpy rabbit. 

“So what now?” Alec asked awkwardly, running his hand along a small table top that held a round fruit bowl.

Clary stopped her pacing for only a moment before continuing again. “I think we should wait here until my mother finds Jace. I know my brother…when my mother finds Jace, he won’t be in a good way.”

“What about this Luke fellow?” Magnus asked. “Will he mind if we just sit and wait in his home?”.

“Luke’s been more of a father to me than Valentine ever has” Clary replied, wracking her hands through her hair. “He’ll be fine with us staying here…I hope.”

“You hope?” Alec asked, peering at her suspiciously. “Can we trust him or not?”.

“Yes!” she snapped, though she didn’t mean too. 

“What are you so upset about?” Simon asked her gently, standing up to comfort her.

“This whole situation” Clary sighed, trying her best to hold back tears. “Its all my fault!”.

“No argument from me” Alec muttered distastefully. 

“Alec!” Isabelle hissed. “Not now.”

Alec rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t understand why Clary was the one acting all upset. It should be him and Isabelle who were crying…it was their brother who was probably being tortured. Clary had nothing to cry about. 

“Its not your fault” Simon assured her, pulling her in for a hug. “And forget about Alec.”

“Excuse me?” Alec asked, stepping forward with raised eyebrows. 

“Hey!” Isabelle snapped, standing up to stand in between her brother and Simon. “This isn’t helping!”.

“Yeah, you’re right” Simon said, sounding tired. “Clary and I are going into the spare room.”

“To do what?” Alec asked crossly.

“Thats none of your business!” Simon told him firmly, taking Clary by the hand and guiding her down the hall. “Wait, Isabelle, you can come to. I like you.”

Isabelle gave Alec a small shrug before following Simon and Clary into the spare bedroom. Alec rolled his eyes again for what felt like the one hundredth time today before plopping himself onto one of Luke’s expensive couches. Magnus let out a quiet sigh before doing the same, keeping a safe distance from Alec. 

  
They sat in silence for quite a while, listening faintly to the soft voices travelling down from the hall. Clary was crying, that much was audible. But Simon and Isabelle’s voices were too much of a blur. Magnus couldn’t help but notice how Alec’s eyes drifted from the floor to the walls, everywhere but in Magnus’ direction. He could sense that Alec was upset with him…he’d sensed it ever since their time spent in the dungeon. 

“Are you upset with me, Alexander?” Magnus asked, watching Alec carefully as he awaited for a response.

Alec pretended to look surprised by Magnus’ question and shook his head. “No, not at all. Why would I be? I’m just worried about Jace, thats all.”

“Of course” Magnus said, shifting in his chair. “But…what do you think of me, Alexander?”.

Alec blinked, startled. “What?”.

“Do you like me? Hate me?” Magnus asked. “Whats the deal?”.

“I-“ Alec was lost for words.

He didn’t hate Magnus, nor dislike him in any way. But did he like him? Alec could not deny the fact that there was definitely something about Magnus that he was attracted to. But whether that was interest or curiosity, he did not know for sure. There were so many feelings inside of him that he either could not describe, or would not let himself discover. 

“I think you’re a…nice person” Alec said hesitantly, still avoiding eye contact with Magnus.

“Then why are you so estranged around me?” Magnus asked.

“I’m not” Alec said defensively. “I mean…at least I don’t mean to be.”

“You’re so distant” Magnus said, almost sounding sad. “I don’t want to think that it’s because of me.”

Alec leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows against his knees. “I’m distant? I barely know you and you barely know me…do you just expect me to be all comfortable around you?”.

“Well, no I-“ Magnus started, but Alec interrupted him.

“Why do you care so much anyway?” he asked, his voice rising slightly. “What’s the whole point of this? You know, you helping me find Clary and Simon when they escaped…you offering the group of us your home…you coming along with us on this pointless crusade? What’s the whole point?”.

Magnus normally would have come up with some valid excuse that would have seemed believable. But the whole _adventure_ argument seemed like a child’s excuse for why they were late for dinner. He didn’t understand Alec’s anger or distaste towards him, he’d been nothing but nice to the guy. So maybe it was time he came out with the truth and told Alec about a part of himself that others would despise. 

“Because I like you” he said, and he looked straight at Alec as he said it. “I like you and I wanted to get to know you better. I knew you weren’t just a pretty face and I…I don’t really know.”

Alec felt his heart fumble inside his chest. He was just as surprised by the comment as he wasn’t. Magnus had flirted with him — shown interest. But there was a difference between Alec’s guessing games inside his head and Magnus admitting his feelings. 

“Say something” Magnus urged, biting his lip nervously. “Please just say something.”

“Camille” was all that Alec could manage to say.

Magnus looked surprised for a moment, confused as to why his past lover’s name was being brought up. But then he realised. He’d just admitted his feelings for a man, yet his past lover was a woman. He could now see why Alec would mention Camille’s horrid name. 

“I see” Magnus said quietly. “Well, I’ll have you know that I’m attracted to both men and women in a romantic manner.”

“Y-you…is that possible?” Alec asked, bouncing his leg up and down as his nerves started to kick in.

Magnus spread his arms out wide. “I’m afraid so.”

Alec stood up, forcing any possible yearning he had for Magnus out of his head. It was wrong and sinful, he knew that, Magnus knew that, so why were they even having this conversation? He started towards the front door in order to escape an unwanted conversation, but Magnus stopped him with a light tug on the arm.

“You can’t go out there” he said gently. “It’s too dangerous.”

Alec yanked his arm away quickly. “I’m in more danger staying in here with a sinner like you.”

“Sinner?” Magnus asked, trying to mask the hurt on his face. “I am no sinner…I just accept how I feel.”

“Aren’t you afraid?” Alec asked quietly, his eyes softening ever so slightly.

“Not anymore” Magnus whispered. “I’ve learnt to accept who I am and know the difference between others hating me for who I am and hating myself.”

Alec swallowed hard, searching for any possible words that he could speak. But his tongue twisted into a knot and his racing heart beat prevented him from saying a word. Magnus had admitted who he was — told Alec something that could possibly bring about his death. He…trusted…him. That wasn’t something that Alec could take lightly, but he didn’t know what he was supposed to do. Magnus’ feelings meant nothing. They weren’t real. Alec’s _own_ views on his _own_ feelings were corrupting him. 

“I know you’re just like me, Alec” Magnus said quietly, his eyes softening. “You don’t have to hide.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” Alec lied as he turned away, avoiding eye contact with Magnus.

Magnus frowned, lowering his eyes to the ground. He knew that Alec was unaccepting and ignorant towards his own feelings. But Magnus had taken it upon himself to help Alec open up. Even if it meant that Alec would at first, push him away, Magnus was going to help the young Prince. There was only so much denial a man can go through before they explode. Alec was on a very thin line — he needed someone who would understand him. 

“You will understand soon enough, Alexander” Magnus promised, stepping away from Alec in order to give the boy some room to think. “You don’t have to hide or keep your distance. I already _know._ And I will not judge. If you ever, ever, need my help. I’m here for you.”

Alec shook his head, his eyes fixated on the wooden floorboards underneath him. He couldn’t bring himself to turn around and face Magnus. His feelings were overriding him already, he didn’t need his attraction to Magnus to further overrun him. 

“I’ll never need your help” Alec told him, his voice husky and unused. “You’re the devil’s spawn. I am NOTHING like you and if you mention this conversation to ANYONE…I’ll kill you myself.”

 

**

 

“Have you had enough?” Sebastian asked tauntingly as he splashed Jace’s face with yet another bucket of ice cold water. “Because I haven’t.”

Jace glared up at Sebastian and spoke to him through gritted teeth. “You. Are. A. Monster. From. Hell.”

Sebastian had spent the past couple of hours with Jace using many of his favourite torture methods. He’d started off stripping Jace of his clothing, leaving him with only his under garments to cloth his dignity, and had started to whip every inch of his body. Jace had passed out by the thirtieth time the whip struck his body, but Sebastian didn’t stop there. He woke Jace up with a bucket of ice cold water, leaving Jace in a wide eyed and alert state. After that, he beat Jace up with his bare hands until Jace was nothing but a bloody and bruised corpse. And with yet another ice cold bucket of water, Jace was awake and alert.

“What do you say we play a little game, shall we?” Sebastian asked with a vicious smirk.

“If the game involves your death, then sure” Jace growled.

Sebastian turned around to a weapons table that stood at the end of his torture chamber. There were weapons — some Jace had never even see before. Poisons, tools, rope, and fire were all amongst the weapons as well. But what Sebastian was reaching for sent shivers racing down Jace’s spine. A small bowl filled with both tiny and large shards of glass came into view. In the dim light provided by Sebastian’s lamp, Jace could see the smile growing on the demon from hell’s illuminating face.

“I have an idea” he stated dramatically, whirling around so that he was face to face with Jace. “I ask you a question…and if I believe you’re lying in anyway…you have to swallow a shard of glass.”

“What kind of game is that?” Jace asked in alarm. “Your father obviously abused you as a child.”

Sebastian struck Jace hard across the face, merely chuckling as he did so. “Would you like to play the game, Wayland, or should I just make you swallow it all without the torment?”.

“We’ll play the game” Jace breathed, forcing back the tears that threatened to fall.

“Great” Sebastian clapped his hands together enthusiastically. “My first question is, why did the King trust his three children to travel out here to my father’s kingdom…with an assassin?”.

“She promised that she’d help New Yorkshire” Jace answered slowly. “Clary said that if we let her and her friend go…she’d help us kill Valentine.”

“And the King believed that?” Sebastian asked, sounding doubtful. “No, no, no. You see, I don’t believe that.”

“But its the truth!” Jace shouted.

Sebastian pulled out a medium sized shard of glass and held it out in front of Jace’s face tauntingly. 

“This game isn’t fair” Jace growled, narrowing his eyes.

Sebastian yanked Jace’s hair back so that his head tilted upwards. He forced the King’s ward’s mouth open and dropped the shard, immediately causing blood to pour out from Jace’s mouth. The pain was worse than the whipping and the beating — Jace couldn’t even describe it. He choked on the shard as the metallic taste of blood swirled in his mouth. But when he coughed, Sebastian held his head up firmer, laughing as Jace struggled to breathe as well with deal the pain.

“JONATHAN!” Jocelyn’s voice echoed inside the room, causing Sebastian to jump with surprise.

“Mother?” he asked as he turned around to look at the Queen who had just bursted into his own private space. “What in God’s name are you doing in here?”.

Jocelyn’s eyes quickly travelled towards Jace who had just finally managed to cough out the painful glass shard. But blood, dark red blood, continued to dribble down from his mouth and create a puddle on the floor below him. The poor boy looked pale and weak, and Jocelyn hated the kind of son she had given birth to.

“You need to let the boy go” she ordered, her eyes darkening as they returned to meet her son’s. “Now.”

“Why?” Sebastian asked, genuinely confused as to why he should let his prisoner go. “He doesn’t mean anything to father, he’s just the King’s stupid ward.”

“I said let him go!” Jocelyn said a little firmer. “That is an order, Jonathan. Your father would be ashamed of you if you disobeyed me.”

Sebastian glanced back at Jace with a frown, irritation and anger building up inside him. This had been his only chance at fun — and now his mother was inconveniently ruining it for him. Why couldn’t she just leave him alone and let him be?

“Fine” he said unhappily. “But only because I’m tired and hungry. But you do not order me around, woman. You’re nothing but a pretty little jewel to me, remember that.”

And without another word, Sebastian left the room, leaving Jocelyn alone to deal with the injured and bloody Jace. 


	21. Drag the Body

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okie Dokie, here's chapter 21! Sorry there isn't much malec, clace, sizzy etc...I needed to include a bit more of the storyline. Hope you enjoy :')

Luke had finally managed to escape work for the day. It wasn’t unusual that Valentine would send him off to work ridiculous hours and leave him to suffer from lack of food and sleep for the rest of the week. The King had his own ways of punishing those closest to him — his own way of making people he was supposed to care about suffer. Luke was more than just tired and more than just hungry. He was exhausted and famished, leaving him with an undesirable headache and a groaning abdomen. He was on his way home now, travelling down the long and quiet streets of the lower town. It was almost ten O’clock, which meant that the only people who were still out on the streets were nights watchmen and criminals. His small home, that he’d owned for almost seven years, looked almost too small once he came to a halt in front of his wooden doorstep. He could hear the faint sound of voices murmuring amongst themselves from inside, most of them unrecognisable. His house had never been robbed before, despite his noble status, but he almost instantly assumed that the voices inside were pesky thieves trying to rob him. The only weapon he currently had on him was a sword, which was for one-on-one combat. But Luke had no idea how many robbers could be rummaging through his things. He liked to think of himself as an exquisite swordsman, but he wasn’t simply going to assume that the thieves were weaponless and without skill. After a few moments of decision making and trained thought, he swung open the door, readying his sword for combat. A loud gasp of surprise and a pot smashing were the first two sounds that greeted Luke as he entered his home. Five surprised faces greeted him — only two of them familiar. 

“Luke” Clary started, holding up her hands in surrender as she stepped in front of her friends. “Luke, its me Clary! My mother sent us hear, she told us that you would help us until she returns.”

Luke lowered his sword slowly, glancing around at all of their faces suspiciously. His first instinct was to arrest them all, aside from Simon and Clary, and return them to the King’s dungeons. But he saw their desperate and pleadings faces and knew that if he were to take them back, Jocelyn and Clary would never forgive him. 

“Where’s Jocelyn?” he asked, looking around the room as if she’d be hiding somewhere. 

“She’s finding Jace” Clary answered honestly. “Sebastian took him, so he might not be in a great state.”

“And why exactly did she send you here, to me?” Luke asked.

“Because she trusts you” Simon said with a small smile. “And so do we.”

Luke placed his sword down onto the kitchen table and clenched his fists. He wasn’t angry at Jocelyn for directing Clary and her companions to his house, he was simply afraid that if Valentine were to find out, his head would be the new decoration to the throne. 

“Luke?” Clary asked quietly. “Please let us stay, just for tonight, or at least until Jace is returned.”

“There are two spare rooms” Luke said tiredly. “You and the girl are sharing one. I don’t want you with any boys.”

“Not even Simon?” Clary asked with a raised eyebrow.

Luke gave her a knowing look. “You heard me.”

“Alright, fine” Clary said with a smile, stepping forward to wrap her arms around Luke. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome” Luke smiled. “You should all get some sleep.”

“I don’t know when mother will be back and I-” Clary started, but Luke held up a hand to stop her.

“I’ll wait up for her, _you_ and your friends need to rest up” Luke said firmly.

Clary let out a reluctant sigh before nodding, turning around to face her exhausted companions. Isabelle and Alec were both frowning, the same tired look in their mesmerising blue eyes. Magnus had rings around his eyes, despite that, he looked wide eyed and awake. Simon’s eyes were drooping shut more often then not, his smile betraying the exhaustion corrupting him.

“He’s right” Clary stated as she examined her companion’s. “Isabelle, come with me. Boys, there’s a room on the far left. There’s one bed — so decide amongst yourselves how you’re going to sleep.”

Simon, Alec and Magnus raced towards the bedroom, causing both Isabelle and Clary to roll their eyes. 

“Whats the bet their argument over the bed lasts all night?” Clary asked.

“I’d gladly bet my life” Isabelle smirked.

They started down the hall towards their spare bedroom, glancing briefly into the boy’s room where Alec and Simon fought over pillows and bedsheets while Magnus simply lay comfortably in the middle of the bed. Clary couldn’t help but smile at them, suddenly feeling a sense of protection over her new ‘friends’. She didn’t know why, but she liked to know that there were more people surrounding her. It was comforting. 

“I hope Jace is alright” Isabelle whispered as they entered their own room.

“Yeah” Clary sighed, kicking off her shoes. “He’s probably been beaten pretty bad, though.”

“Your brother is a monster” Isabelle said without thinking. “No offence.”

“None taken” Clary said with a shrug. “I hate him.”

“So should we share the bed?” Isabelle asked, changing the subject. 

Clary glanced at the Queen sized bed in front of them. It had two pillows with expensive golden pillowcases, similar to the ones found in the castle. The bed sheets were made from cheap wool probably bought from one of the local stores. 

“Yeah” she said with a small smile. “But be warned, I love to steal all the sheets.”

 

**

 

Jocelyn couldn’t carry Jace all on her own. She was a strong woman, but carrying Jace down several flights of stairs and through the lower towns all on her own, it was just impossible. In order to complete her promise to Clary, she needed someone to help her carry Jace out of the castle and down the streets. But asking just any old guard wasn’t an option. She needed someone she could trust — someone who wouldn’t betray her to the King. There were very few people she knew she could trust — and apart from Luke, none of them were men. The first person that came to mind was Simon’s mother, Elaine. Elaine was a strong-willed and confident woman who has raised her two children — Simon and Rebecca — as a widow for at least six-teen years. When Simon had been just 9 months old, his father had been executed by Valentine for reasons that remain unknown. No one hated Valentine more than Elaine. Rebecca, Elaine’s eldest daughter, worked here in the castle as a maid. If Jocelyn could find Rebecca in time, she could run home and collect her mother. But with Jace’s body still in her disposal, there wasn’t really any time to actually find Rebecca. Frowning, she dragged Jace’s now unconscious body behind a large tapestry displaying the King. 

“Now stay here” she told him, though she doubted that the unconscious Jace would be going anywhere anytime soon. 

Without any further hesitation, she darted down the hall and excused her way past busy night guards who just watched her with mild curiosity. She made her way down to the servants quarters where she knew Rebecca would be finishing off for the night before retiring back home to the farm. She didn’t stop to breathe or relax her feet — she had a mission and she wasn’t prepared to fail. There were two servants up ahead, both female and both looking exhausted after their hard days work. Neither of them were Rebecca, but the blonde girl hustling through a pile of clothes was one of Rebecca’s closest friends. Jocelyn remembered her name to be somewhere along the lines of Juliet.

“Juliet!” she called, slowing down her pace so that she looked calm and collected. “How are you my dear, I see that you are finishing off for the night?”.

“Yes, my lady” Juliet said with a light bow.

“Wonderful” Jocelyn smiled. “I was wondering if you knew where Rebecca would be.”

“Oh, yes, I do. She’s just down the hall, the washing room, I think” she said, gesturing to a room not to far down the hall.

“Thank you, Juliet” Jocelyn said warmly. “Have a wonderful night.”

“Very good, my lady” Juliet bowed before continuing with her work. 

Jocelyn continued down the hall until she reached the washing room. Inside, were three servants. Two males and one female — the female being Rebecca. Jocelyn politely gestured for the male servants to leave, addressing Rebecca with a warm smile and friendly tone.

“Rebecca dear, how are you?” she asked.

Rebecca removed her hands from the washing tub and wiped them slowly on her worn out dress. “I’m well, thank you, my lady. Is there something I can do for you?”.

“Yes, actually” Jocelyn sighed, swallowing hard before continuing. “I need a favour. Not a terrible one, I just need you to fetch your mother and bring her to the castle.”

Rebecca stiffened and her mouth parted slightly with protest, but Jocelyn raised a hand to silence her.

“She’s not in any kind of trouble” she assured her. “I just need her to help me with something. She’ll understand, I can assure you.”

“You and my mother have been friends for years” Rebecca said as though she needed to remind the Queen of that small fact. “If she’s in any kind of trouble…you wouldn’t lie about it would you?”.

“Of course not” Jocelyn said gently. “I just need a favour from her. But I can’t leave the castle.”

Rebecca hesitated a moment before nodding, her brown eyes confused but determined. She wiped her hands on her dress a few more times before straightening up and giving the Queen a small curtsey. 

“Where should I tell her to meet you?” she asked.

“The third staircase on the second floor” Jocelyn answered quickly.

Rebecca looked confused, but she didn’t question her Queen. Without further stalling, she bowed one last time before exiting the room, repeating the Queen’s instructions for her mother to meet her on the third staircase on the second floor. 

 

**

 

Jocelyn quickly returned to Jace’s unconscious body that lay behind a large tapestry. She waited patiently for Elaine’s arrival, praying that when she see’s Jace’s body, she’ll be willing to help. After about twenty minutes of anxious waiting, Elaine appeared around the corner, her eyes filled with the familiar Lewis curiosity.

“My lady, what on earth can I do for you at this late hour?” she asked with a quick bow, her eyes slow to register Jace’s bruised and bloody body behind the Queen. “Oh my…who is that?”.

“His name is Jace” Jocelyn answered calmly. “Jonathan beat him pretty bad. I need to take him to Luke’s house where Simon and Clary are looking after this boy’s friends.”

Elaine’s eyes widened. “Is Simon in some sort of trouble?”.

“That all depends on whether we can get this boy to safety” Jocelyn sighed.

“Why me?” Elaine asked, her eyes wide. 

“There are no men in this castle that I would trust” Jocelyn replied honestly. “And I cannot deliver Jace on my own. You were the first person that came to mind.”

Elaine swallowed hard before nodding. “Is he alive, my lady?”.

“Yes…barely” Jocelyn said with a frown. “He’ll need a healer…I’m almost certain there is one not too far from Luke’s. Please, Elaine, I cannot do this without you.”

Elaine stared down at Jace’s body, her stomach twisting into a knot as she did so. Jace looked of similar age to her own son, Simon, and she couldn’t help but imagine her son in that position. She took a deep breath and shoved the thought out of her mind. Her Queen needed her help, and so did her son. 

“Of course, my lady” she said with a new branch of confidence. “You take one arm, I’ll take the other.”


	22. Wounded

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 22! Hope you Enjoy :')

Luke had been sitting in his living room, watching the flames in his fireplace flicker and dance when he heard the loud thud from outside his house. A desperate knock soon followed, pounding so loudly that it woke up both Isabelle and Clary. They all stared at the door with hesitation, clearly unsure of what they would see on the other side. 

“Maybe its my mother” Clary whispered, looking from Luke to Isabelle with clear hesitation.

“Maybe” Luke admitted, taking a slow step towards the door. “Or maybe it’s Valentine’s guards looking for you and your friends.”

“At this late hour?” Isabelle asked. 

Luke shrugged. “You never know.”

Clary rolled her eyes and stepped forward, passing Luke within seconds to open the door. As the door swung open, a familiar blonde haired boy fell forward, his bruised and battered body crumpled up on the front door-step. Clary gasped and Isabelle covered her mouth in horror, both looking at the two women accompanying Jace with wide eyes. It was Luke who spoke first.

“What the hell happened?” he asked.

“I can answer all your questions later” Jocelyn said as she stepped over Jace’s body. “But first we need to get this poor boy some help.”

Luke lifted Jace up off the ground, carefully carrying him so that he caused no more pain. Isabelle and Clary both watched, speechless and feeling as though they’d just seen death himself. But Jace wasn’t dead. Which was a massive relief. 

“Elaine” Jocelyn said gently, turning to the pale woman beside her. “You need to get the local healer, do you know where to find him?”.

Eliane hesitated a moment before nodding. “Yes, I do. Daniel lives not too far from here. I’ll go fetch him.”

“Thank you” Jocelyn whispered before Eliane had the chance to scatter off down the streets.

Once Jace was rested onto the couch, Luke quickly made his way over to Jocelyn and pulled her into a tight hug. Jocelyn let herself fall into Luke’s arms, there was something warm and gentle about Luke’s embrace, and she never wanted to let go.

“I need to wake the others” Isabelle said with a strained tone in her voice.

“Of course” Clary whispered, slowly making her way to stand beside Jace’s body. 

With Isabelle gone to wake the others and Jocelyn and Luke having their moment, Clary allowed herself to really examine Jace’s body. Both of his eyes were bruised — decorated in a dark purple and blue colour that moulded itself into black. He was barely clothed — whiplash scars and bloody bruises littered almost every inch of bare skin. Despite all the cuts and bruises, Jace looked peaceful when he slept, like an angel sent down from heaven. She moved her hand through his hair slowly, brushing away all the blood and dirt so that it no longer hung over his face. Before she could do anything else to replenish his body, Alec, Magnus and Simon came racing into the room, their voices loud and distressed. Alec knelt down beside Clary, his eyes wide and his hands busy examining the cuts and bruises on Jace’s body. 

“Sebastian did this?!” he asked, his voice barely a whisper when he spoke.

“Yeah” Clary replied quietly. “He’s a monster.”

“I’m going to kill him” Alec said darkly, his eyes fixated and focused on Jace. 

“We need a healer” Simon said, standing behind Clary in an almost protective manner. 

“Your mother has gone to fetch Daniel” Jocelyn told him, still clutching onto Luke. “They’ll be here very soon.”

“My mother?” Simon asked in surprise. “Why is she involved in this?”

“It’s a long story” Jocelyn said tiredly. “Right now we just need to focus on Jace.”

“How long has been unconscious?” Magnus asked, speaking for the first time since he walked into the room.

Jocelyn looked at him hesitantly, her soft and tired eyes representing something more oscillating. Everyone else in the room would not have been able to read her expression, but Magnus could, and Magnus knew why.

“For almost an hour” she replied.

Before she could say more, the front door burst open and Elaine entered the room followed by a young man who looked just as tired as the rest of them. He bowed once he saw Jocelyn, and did a double take when he saw Clary. But his eyes were almost immediately drawn to Jace who now looked as white as a ghost. Daniel said nothing as he approached the body, clutching onto his white duffle bag that he grasped onto over his shoulder. Clary and Alec reluctantly moved away, allowing for Daniel to get a closer and more authentic examination of Jace’s wounds. 

“Mother, you should go” Simon said gently as he moved around to stand beside his mother. 

Elaine shook her head. “Not unless you’re coming with me.”

“It’s too dangerous for you to stay here” Simon whispered. “And I need to stay here for Clary.”

“But why?” Elaine asked, her voice shaking. “You have no part in this.”

“Mother please” Simon begged, taking his mother’s hands in his own. “Rebecca will be waiting up for you.”

“I’ll be waiting up for you!” Elaine said with tears threatening to fall. “What if the Prince had done this to you instead of that boy?! I can’t let that happen, Simon!”.

“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen, Elaine” Jocelyn said quietly, moving over so that she was no longer attached to Luke. “I can protect him if needed.”

“No offence” Elaine started, clutching onto her son tightly. “But I’m not really sure if you’ll be able to do that. Your husband and son — they are monsters. I doubt you’ll be able to stand against them.”

“Alright” Simon said, holding up a hand to silence his clearly shaken mother. “I’ll go home with you, just let me say goodbye to Clary.”

Elaine nodded silently, her sad eyes slowly lowering towards the ground as her son moved away from her. Simon watched Daniel examine Jace’s body, wincing at the open-wounds that littered the poor boy’s body. Clary was watching him too — tears streaming down her face like they never had before. Simon could tell, he would be the only one that could tell, that Clary blamed herself for her brother’s heartless actions. 

“Clary” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “Are you going to be alright?”

Clary turned to face him with a sad smile, opening her arms to pull him into a tight hug. “I’ll be alright, Simon. You need to go home…your mother needs you.”

“But you need me more” Simon said gently as he wrapped his arms around her.

“I’ll be alright” Clary insisted, wiping her eyes quickly as tear drops dampened Simon’s shirt. “I promise.”

Simon nodded slowly before stepping away, glancing over at Alec and Isabelle as they watched their brother being treated by a stranger. He wanted to say something to them — something comforting. But he doubted that any of his words would be able to ease their concern. So without further a-due, he bid Clary one last goodbye before leaving with his mother. 

“How is he?” Magnus asked when no one else did.

Daniel looked up from Jace’s body with a concentrated expression. “If I can treat all of his wounds in time, he should make a full recovery and awake in the morning.”

They all let out a relieved sigh.

“But I’ll need some space to work” Daniel went on, widely gesturing to the solemn faces that surrounded him. “And I’m sure you could all use the rest.”

“We’re not going anywhere” Alec said firmly, giving Daniel a hard look.

“You don’t have to” Daniel said, avoiding his gaze. “I just need some space. You should all get some sleep so that when Jace awakes, he’ll be faced with alive and well kept faces.”

“He’s right” Isabelle said, almost reluctantly. “We’ll be no good to Jace if we’re tired and grumpy.”

“We’re not leaving him” Alec said again.

“Alec, come on” Isabelle said tiredly. “You having a temper tantrum isn’t going to help Jace.”

Alec opened his mouth to defend himself in someway, but the Queen quickly raised a hand to stop him, as well as forcing everyone into a saddened silence. They all looked to Jocelyn almost pleadingly, hoping that she’d say something that would benefit themselves, as well as Jace.

“Daniel is the one looking after Jace” she started, her voice loud and clear. “So if he suggests that we all seperate and get some sleep, I say that that is what we do.”

“No” Alec said defiantly, shaking his head as if the idea was absurd. “I’m not leaving Jace. He’s my brother. My brother! It’s my fault he’s in this mess so I will not leave him! I DON’T CARE WHAT DANIEL SAYS.”

Jocelyn flinched at the response she received from Alec. She could understand why he would want to stand by his brother, but Daniel needed his space to work and if he wasn’t comfortable, Jace would not benefit from it at all. She opened her mouth to say something, something that would hopefully ease Alec into considering Jace’s health, but Magnus waved a dismissive hand at her and stepped forward to face Alec.

“It’s not your fault” he said quietly, his voice surprisingly calm and gentle. “The only guilty party is Sebastian and Sebastian alone. I get why you want to stay, Alexander, I do. But if Daniel isn’t comfortable with the current environment he’s working in…that could impact on Jace’s recovery. I think it would be wise if we all listened to the Queen’s instructions.”

Alec stared at Magnus for a moment, confusion yet understanding written all over his face. Then he glanced down at Jace, studying the dirt blonde hair and the pale cheek bones that he’d once fallen in love with. He knew that deep down, Magnus was right, Sebastian was the one to blame. But if Alec had managed to convince the Prince that he was the one he wanted, maybe it would be him on that couch, not Jace. He met Magnus’ eyes again, searching them for a moment. There were two different responses running through his mind, one of acceptance, and one of defiance. Defiance won over all, because that was what Alec had grown accustomed too.

“She’s not my Queen” he said, his voice dark. “So I don’t have to listen to her thoughtless instructions.”

Magnus felt like he’d just been slapped in the face. Alec stepped right past him and knelt down beside Jace’s almost lifeless body. He ignored the annoyed stare he received from Daniel and fixated all his attention onto Jace. Everyone else in the room felt completely and utterly useless and they started to part ways. Clary and Jocelyn ventured down the hall towards the last bedroom of the house. Luke offered to join them, but Jocelyn told him that they both needed some time alone. Magnus comforted Isabelle as the young girl wandered down towards the bedroom that the boys had been sleeping in. She appreciated Magnus’ comfort, but she advised him to watch Alec since she did not trust that her brother would be polite towards poor Daniel who was only trying to help. Luke wandered towards his own bedroom, yawning and struggling to keep his eyes open. He felt like he should have stayed up with Daniel, but he felt it was physically impossible. So with Alec and Magnus the only ones left remaining with Jace and Daniel, the night fell into a lonely silence. 


	23. Awakened

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for all your sweet comments and kudos! It really means a lot since I hate my writing. But I'm enjoying writing this story and I'm excited to start getting to the main point haha. This is chapter 23, and though malec is still ahead, I promise you it will be very soon. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter :')

Jace woke up the next morning and almost immediately regretted it. Every part of his body hurt. His mouth, his head, his chest, his back, his stomach, his arms, his legs — everything. He opened his eyes despite the struggle, wincing as the bright sunlight streaming through the window pierced his eyes. He could barely see in front of him, but he could sense a presence by his side. He turned his head slowly, closing his eyes tightly as the pain consumed him. His neck cracked with the movement, but he kept the pain inside of him. Once he re-opened his eyes, he could see the top of Alec’s black blob of hair that buried itself into his arm. Behind him, rested Magnus who was asleep in a seated position on one of Luke’s couches. Despite the clear morning presence, it seemed as though no one was awake. He shifted in his position uncomfortably, accidentally poking Alec in the cheek in the process. This caused the other boy to groan and mumble in his sleep, clearly unaware of Jace’s newly awakened state. After a few long moments of Jace simply staring at the sleepy and slowly awakening Alec, the black haired boy finally realised Jace’s state and jerked up in surprise.

“Jace!” he gasped, his eyes wide and filled with noticeable concern. “How are you feeling? Is everything alright? Stupid question…everything is not alright. Can you move? Do you need anything to drink I-“.

“Alec” Jace said firmly, his voice husky and unused. “Could you please slow down? You know I am a blonde, it takes me a little longer to understand things.”

Alec paused for a moment, pulling a face that was in between concern and laughter. He should have guessed that when Jace awoke, he’d attempt to hide his pain with a ridiculous joke and a lopsided smile. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked instead, adjusting himself so that he wasn’t right in Jace’s face.

Jace’s smile quickly faded and his inner joker disappeared. He didn’t want to concern Alec with the amount of physical pain that consumed him, but he knew that it would be unfair of him to lie. If Alec had cared so much that he slept by Jace’s side, then Jace owed it to him to tell him the truth. 

“I’m feeling better than I did last night” Jace answered quietly. “But every time I move and speak, I ache all over.”

Alec lowered his gaze guiltily, feeling as though he could have prevented this somehow. Sebastian had originally wanted to hurt him, not Jace. Fate had played a cruel part in their lives, and it looked as though Jace was going to be the one to suffer from it. With their conversation up and running, Magnus awoke and stretched out his arms. He barely even glanced at Jace as he stood up, clearly disinterested and unconcerned. But Alec doubted that the disinterest Magnus was showing was real. If it was, why had he stayed up watching over Jace for almost the whole night? 

“Magnus” Alec said quietly, turning around to face the other man. “Can you wake Isabelle and Clary? They’ll want to see Jace.”

“No” Jace intercepted before Magnus could nod. “Let them sleep. I’m sure they’re exhausted.”

“Are you sure?” Alec asked.

Jace gave him a small smile. “Just because you felt the need to wake up straight away doesn’t mean everyone else has to.”

“You poked me” Alec reminded him, gesturing to his cheek.

“Oh admit it” Jace chuckled. “You would have woken up anyway. You love me.”

Alec rolled his eyes and gave his step brother an embarrassed smile. If they were in any other situation, he probably would have blushed and turned away. But with Jace weak and barely able to speak, Alec felt no need to look away. Magnus, who’d been watching the conversation between the two men from afar, sighed and looked away at the words ‘I love you’ that rolled off of Jace’s tongue. Little did the blonde boy know how much those words would mean to Alec. But Magnus knew. And it killed him to see how comfortable Alec was with Jace, even when Jace would never feel the same way. 

“So, do you need anything to drink?” Alec asked as he studied the way Jace’s eyes drooped closed after he spoke. “You look like you could use the hydration.”

“Water” Jace croaked, his voice changing into a raspy tone. “Though I have a feeling it will hurt.”

“What did Sebastian do to your mouth?” Alec asked. “You’ve got cuts all over it.”

Jace smiled bitterly as an image of Sebastian appeared behind his closed eyelids. “He made me eat some glass. He obviously hadn’t been treated well as a child. No one told him that glass isn’t food.”

“He what?!” Alec sounded appalled by this information and had started getting up, but Jace yanked him by the hand and pulled him back down.

“How about that water then?” Jace asked, trying to divert the conversation.

Alec glared at him. “Sebastian needs to pay for what he did to you.”

“I agree” Jace nodded, trying hard to keep his mouth as closed as possible when he spoke. “But doing something dramatic is only going to get you killed. Sebastian’s dangerous, it will take more than a couple of kids to kill him. Besides, Valentine’s our mission, not his son.”

“I don’t care about Valentine” Alec said with wide eyes. “He’s not the one who spent hours torturing you.”

“Yes but _he is the one_ who killed seven-teen people and organised your assassination” Jace replied.

Alec shook his head, still not convinced that Valentine was worth killing when Sebastian was the monster. He couldn’t help but automatically feel a deep and dark hatred for Sebastian — he was the one who’d harmed his brother. Valentine looked like an angel when compared to his son. 

“Hey” Jace said quietly, his golden eyes looking up into Alec’s blue ones. “Can I _please_ have that water now? My mouth is as dry as the desert.”

Alec nodded. “Yeah of course, sorry.”

He stood up slowly, his legs cracking as his muscles released their tension. He moved towards the kitchen where Magnus stood, his arms crossed over his chest and his back against the cupboards. Alec avoided eye contact with Magnus as he snatched a cup from the dish rack and placed it onto the table. He could feel Magnus watching him, the intensity of his gaze piercing into his skin. 

“How are you feeling?” Magnus asked quietly, his voice light and melodic despite the early morning.

Alec poured water into Jace’s cup, biting his lip as his hands began to shake. He didn’t know why it was so hard for him to act normal around Magnus. Maybe it was because Magnus had admitted his feelings, told him how he really felt. Or maybe it was because Alec was afraid that he felt the same. 

“I’m alright” Alec lied as he finished pouring Jace’s drink. “What about you?”.

“I’m well enough” Magnus replied, his eyes resting curiously on Alec.

He could see the dark circles under the prince’s eyes, presenting the lack of sleep that was desperate to catch up on him. He wanted to say something else to Alec, an apology for the awkwardness between them. But Alec had moved away, delivering Jace the water that he’d so desperately desired. Jace took the cup of water gratefully, hesitant to actually consume it though.

“It might hurt a little” Alec admitted, speaking in a soothing and gentle tone. “But you need the water, you know you do.”

Jace nodded slowly, gripping the cup tightly as he slowly lifted it up towards his lips. His lips were dry and littered with tiny cuts, Alec had never seen him look so awful in his life. Over the years, Jace had received many beatings. Some from training with the knights — most from getting into fights he could not handle. But Alec had never ever seen him look so beaten in all his life. As Jace drank, he shut his eyes tightly, trying to overcome the pain that quickly consumed him. The water stung his throat, like a dozen bees swarming in one part of his body. But when the water trailed down his throat, he was filled with a relieved feeling of awakening that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

“You alright?” Alec asked nervously.

Jace put the cup down slowly and gave his step brother a gentle smile. “It only hurt a little, I’ll be fine.”

“You should get some rest” Alec said gently. “Give yourself some time to recover.”

Jace opened his mouth to protest, but his own eyes drooped shut, proving to Alec that he really did need the rest. Without further discussion, Jace gave in and decided to listen to his older brother. Which was rare, Jace never listened. He closed his eyes and ignored the pain that welled up inside of him. He had to remain strong and convince those around him that he was okay. He hated people worrying about him. So with a small smile on his face, he turned his head to the side and fell into a restless sleep. 

 

**

 

Clary woke up with her head on her mother’s chest, stained tears littering both her cheeks and her mother’s dress. She didn’t remember falling asleep — only that she had been crying while her mother tried to sooth her with kind words. She blamed herself for what happened to Jace, even though she had no control over her brother’s actions. Despite this, she felt as though her companions were her responsibility. And since Jace spent at least five hours going through merciless torture — Clary felt as though there was no one to blame other than herself. 

She could see the bright sunlight piercing through the window, letting her know that a new day was upon her. She could also here the villagers outside, starting on their busy day filled with hard work and service. Despite the fact she wanted to start her day optimistic and happy, she couldn’t help but wonder how long it would take until her father finds them. She had no doubt that guards were already notifying the King of the absent prisoners and the absent Princess and Queen. 

“Clary, are you awake sweetheart?” Jocelyn’s voice was soft and gentle when she spoke, pulling Clary into a warm embrace.

“I’m awake” Clary whispered. “Though I don’t really want to wake up.”

“Today is an important day” Jocelyn told her, stroking her daughter’s hair softly. 

Clary looked up at her, her green eyes wide. “How so?”.

“We need to plan our course of action against Valentine” Jocelyn replied, her eyes unblinking and her gaze steady. “We don’t have much time to waste. If you and your companions are planning to kill the King, they’re going to have to do it tonight.”

“But Jace-“ Clary started, but Jocelyn held up a hand to stop her.

“He’ll have to sit this one out” Jocelyn sighed. “And I’m sure Prince Alec is more than capable of taking his place.”

“So I guess we should wake everyone up then?” Clary asked.

Jocelyn nodded, almost reluctantly. “Yes, the best way to start off the day is to plan a murder.”

“You’re getting comedic in your old age” Clary smirked, rolling over so she could slip off the bed. 

“I was always quite funny” Jocelyn chuckled. “It was just that no one had by sense of humour.”

Clary rolled her eyes. “What ever you say, mother. What ever you say.”

 

**

 

Magnus and Alec were sitting at the kitchen table when Clary and Jocelyn entered. It looked like they had been in a deep conversation, but as soon as the Queen and princess entered, their conversation quickly ceased. Alec averted his gaze towards the ground and Magnus swallowed hard as his eyes met Jocelyn’s. Clary ignored the sudden awkwardness that surrounded them and glanced over at the sleeping Jace. He looked a lot more lively this morning, but bruises and whip lashes still littered his torn body.

“How is he?” she asked, appointing her question to no one in particular.

“He woke up earlier” Alec replied, his voice sounding raspy and unused. “He seemed well.”

“He woke up?!” Clary asked in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell anyone? You should have woken us up!”.

“He was going to” Magnus said, quick to jump to Alec’s defence. “But Jace told him not to. He wanted you all to have as much sleep as possible.”

Clary could not argue against Jace’s wishes. She simply nodded and peeled her eyes off of Jace’s wretched body and sat down at the kitchen table beside Alec. She was still tired and sleepy and her legs threatened to give way with every step she took.

“I’ll wake Luke and Isabelle” Jocelyn stated as she started down the hall. “Won’t be a minute.”

No one said anything as Jocelyn started down the hall. Magnus simply drummed his fingers against the table and Alec chewed on his lower lip as he watched him. Clary just stared at the front door, waiting for it to burst open as if guards were going to raid Luke’s home. She wanted so badly to check on Simon, know that he was safe and sound in his small home by the farm. But she knew that if she took one step out of Luke’s house, she’d risk being caught, and she couldn’t have that.

“How is he?!” Isabelle’s voice rung out loudly into the room, threatening to awaken Jace from his almost peaceful slumber.

“Could you be any louder?” Alec asked, gesturing for her to quieten her tone.

“Sorry” Isabelle said with a frown, marching over towards the dining table to take a seat beside Magnus. “I will speak lower then. How is he? I heard he woke up earlier.”

“He’s in pain” Alec sighed. “But he was well enough to make jokes.”

“Well thats a good sign” Isabelle said in relief.

Jocelyn re-entered the room with Luke by her side. Luke, despite his late night and exhausting day, looked more alive than everyone in the room put together. But Clary supposed that was because Luke had grown used to the lack of sleep he received every night. As he entered the room, he shot a curious glance in Jace’s direction. He didn’t ask how he was though, instead, he made his way towards the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. Jocelyn walked straight towards the table and took a seat on the left side of Clary. She too looked alive and awake, but the circles under her eyes betrayed the rest of her physical state.

“We have a lot to discuss today” she stated matter-of-factly, dragging her eyes across the table. 

“About what?” Alec asked, genuinely unaware of what there was to discuss, especially with Valentine’s wife. 

“Well, we need to have some sort of plan of action” she replied, her eyes resting on him in particular. “You can’t just expect to kill Valentine without a plan.”

Alec raised an eyebrow. “You’re helping us kill your husband?”.

“It sounds terrible, I know” Jocelyn sighed, leaning forward in her chair so that her elbows rested on the table. “But I want Valentine dead just as much as your parents do.”

“But my parents want him dead because of his attack on our kingdom” Alec pointed out. “What’s your reasoning behind this?”.

“Does it really matter?” Luke asked him, leaning back so that his back slouched against the wall. “She wants to help, so maybe we should focus on this great plan of yours.”

“The plan?” Alec asked, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “Well we were hoping to just get in, kill him, and then get out.”

“Great” Jocelyn clapped her hands together. “Then that is exactly what we’re going to do.”


	24. Course of Action

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken me so long to post this chapter, I've had a severe case of writer's block. It was horrible. This isn't the best chapter I've ever written, but I do hope it doesn't turn you off reading haha. My next chapter will be better I promise :')

Jocelyn spent the next couple of hours describing the interior design of the castle to the rest of the group. She described the several stairwells, throne rooms, bed chambers, servants quarters and weapons rooms. She was particular eager to describe the link between the kitchens and the throne room — pointing out that if they planned to attack Valentine, dinner was their best chance of doing so. While listening, Alec drew up a map of what the castle would look like on the inside. He was determined to include every little detail that Jocelyn mentioned — for it was important to know their way around the castle. He scribbled a few guards standing outside Valentine’s bed chambers, staring at it with furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips.

“What is it?” Clary asked, noticing his concentrated state.

“Nothing” Alec shook his head and raised his eyes towards Jocelyn. “So we’ve figured out the structure of the castle…but what do we do with that?”.

“What do you think we do?” Isabelle asked, rolling her eyes. “We plan our course of action.”

“We definitely should attack during dinner” Magnus said, stretching his legs out in front of him as his discomfort had finally gotten the better of him. 

“But how?” Clary asked. “He has guards everywhere. We can’t just kill him while everyone’s there.”

“Poison” Magnus said simply. “It almost worked with Alexander.”

Clary glanced sideways at Alec to catch him staring back at her. He no longer had any anger or hatred in his eyes, but he still didn’t look too pleased to be reminded of that memory. 

“That still won’t work” Luke said, shaking his head. “The guards will still notice something.”

“Not necessarily” Magnus said. “If we use the same poison that Clary had used on Alexander, it will work. That poison took a while to react. Therefore, if we give it to Valentine during his meal, he’ll be weak once he retires.”

“But what if he calls guards once he realises something is wrong?” Clary asked.

“He won’t have time to” Jocelyn said, her voice distant and cold. “Because I’ll drive a dagger through his heart.”

Luke opened his mouth to protest, but Jocelyn held up a hand to stop him before he could get a word out. She was more than capable of killing Valentine — she hated him. She’d once loved him, yes, but that was a long time ago. Her husband no longer meant anything to her. He was just a monster wearing a King’s mask. 

“No offence” Alec started as he looked up at the Queen. “But I don’t think we can trust this assassination to the wife of our target. Valentine needs to die. I cannot leave that up to you.”

Jocelyn narrowed her eyes and glared at him. “I’m perfectly capable of killing the King, thank you very much. There is no weakness in me that will prevent me from committing such a crime.”

“Jocelyn” Luke said gently, reaching forward to place his hand lightly on her shoulder. “You won’t be able to live with yourself if you commit this crime. Think about that.”

“I’m not a coward” she scowled at him.

“No, you’re not” he said gently. “But I’m not letting you do something you’ll regret.”

“Look, as heart whelming as this all is, we should probably get back to the plan” Magnus said, glancing in between Luke and Jocelyn with raised eyebrows. 

They both glared at him, unwilling to look away until Alec broke off the tension. 

“The poison idea is a good one” he said, pointing to a blank space on his page. “But we need to find a way to be able to deliver it.”

“Thats easy” Jocelyn said, leaning forward so that her elbows rested on the table. “We just send one of us into the kitchens.”

“Easier said then done” Clary pointed out.

“You did it” Alec said, looking at her somewhat admiringly. “Maybe you can do it again.”

“No, she’s the Princess” Jocelyn said. “We’ll need someone who won’t be recognised to go do it.”

“I’ll do it” Isabelle shrugged, glancing over at Alec just waiting for him to protest. 

“It’s harder then it sounds” Alec warned her. “It’s dangerous too.”

“It can’t be that hard” Isabelle complained, rolling her eyes at her brother’s concern. “Don’t you trust me?”.

“Look, we can’t waste time arguing about roles” Luke said, pacing the floor in front of them. “We need to dictate what part we all play in this and stick with it.”

“I’ll do the poison” Magnus volunteered, raising his hand.

“Hey!” Isabelle snapped, glaring at him. “I wanted to do that!”.

He gave her an innocent smile. “I have a feeling I’m going to be trusted more with this task.”

“Are you sure?” Clary asked him. “You’ll be putting yourself in a lot of danger. If you’re caught, you’ll be killed on sight.”

Magnus threw his arms up in the air with a wide smile on his face. “That just makes it ten times more exciting now doesn’t it?”.

Clary nodded at him doubtfully before turning her gaze onto her mother. Jocelyn looked worried and distressed, like she’d just woken up from a nightmare that turned out to be real. Clary could tell that the whole idea of her father’s murder had caused some part of Jocelyn to crumble. She just hoped that her mother would not mourn for the death of a monster. 

“Ok, so Magnus is in charge of the poisoning” Alec said, quickly jotting that down onto the piece of paper in front of him. “But who is going to finish the job?”.

Jocelyn opened her mouth to volunteer herself, but Clary beat her to it. 

“I’ll do it” she said. “I’ll be the one to kill Valentine.”

“Clary” Luke intercepted quickly, moving towards her so swiftly that she didn’t even see him move. “You can’t do that! He’s your father!”.

Clary gave him a pointed look. “I don’t care about him at all. I hate him for everything he has done to me, to mother, to you…and to this whole kingdom. I’ll gladly be the one to drive a dagger through his heart.”

“Are you sure?” Isabelle asked her gently, judgement free from her gaze. “He’s still your father.”

“Only biologically” Clary said, her voice firm. “Luke is more of a father to me than the King ever could.”

“This is all very nobble” Alec interrupted, leaning forward in his seat so that his elbows rested on the table. “But we have to be certain of the King’s death.”

“And we will be” Clary said firmly. “If I do this — if I kill my father. You can be sure that I’ll get the job done.”

“Okay then” Jocelyn said, surprising everybody when she agreed with her daughter. 

“What?” Luke asked with surprise. “Jocelyn…you can’t let Clary do this.”

“I’m not _letting_ Clary do anything” Jocelyn sighed. “I’m simply allowing her to make her own decisions.”

Luke didn’t look too pleased with the idea of Clary murdering the King, but he said nothing in order to remain on the Queen’s good side. Alec too, didn’t look pleased, but he jotted Clary’s name down onto his piece of paper anyway. 

“Right, so Magnus in charge of the poisoning and Clary’s killing the King” Isabelle sighed, clapping her hands together as if to concretise that piece of information. “So what will Jace, Alec and I do?”.

“Jace isn’t doing anything” Alec said firmly, glancing over at his sleeping step brother. “He’s too sick.”

“He won’t like that” Isabelle frowned.

“He doesn’t have to” Alec argued. “But he isn’t taking part in this plan at all. You hear me?”.

They all nodded. 

“Back to the question” Isabelle started, slightly irritated by her brother’s immediate desire for leadership. “I do hope that I’m going to have a part to play in all of this. I’m not just going to sit back and do nothing.”

“I don’t see what more you can do” Alec admitted, staring at her with a look of sincerity. 

“What about the guards?” Magnus asked, returning to the conversation with a clear tone of voice. “Someone will have to deal with them.”

Alec thought back to the start of the conversation when he’d scribbled down every piece of information and detail that Jocelyn revealed about the castle. He remembered drawing a few guards surrounding the King and a brilliant idea struck him. In order to kill the King, no guards could be present. Or at least — not real guards anyway. 

“Thats it” he said out loud. “Isabelle and I…we deal with the guards.”

“And how exactly do you plan to do that?” Clary asked.

Alec turned to face Jocelyn. “Do you know which guards guard Valentine during dinner?”.

“I-I yes, that would be Sir Adrian and Sir Braidwood” she said. “Why? What about them?”.

“If Isabelle and I can get to them before they report to duty. We can be the guards who supposedly watch over Valentine…that way Clary can get into Valentine’s room and kill him without worrying about any guards seeing her — because it’ll just be Izzy and I.”

“Thats actually a brilliant idea” Magnus murmured, giving Alec a small nod of approval.

Alec smiled sheepishly at him before glancing up at Jocelyn, scanning her face for any sign of approval or doubt. She looked as though she was in deep thought, calculating everything that could go wrong with that scenario before realising that the good outweighed the bad. 

“Yes, that would work” she stated matter-of-factly. 

“So is that the plan?” Clary asked, looking from Alec to her mother. 

“Well, its something” Alec said, glancing down at his piece of paper. “But what was the name of the poison you used on me?”.

“Night shade” Clary replied quickly.

“Is it hard to find?” Alec asked.

Clary shook her head. “No, there’s a dealer not too far from here.”

“Would you mind giving me the name of the place?” Magnus asked as he stood up, preparing himself for his task. “And some money…I’m currently broke.”

“It’s on Pit street, house number 27” Clary sighed. “The dealer’s name is Jonny Rook.”

“As for the money” Luke dug into his back pocket and pulled out several gold coins. “This should be enough.”

He handed Magnus the money and Magnus took it gratefully. He slid it into his own back pocket and straightened his jacket, looking around at his companions with a nervous smile.

“I never thought I’d be buying poison for a Princess and Queen to use on a King” he said. 

“Do you need someone to accompany you?” Isabelle asked gently.

“No, I think I’ll be alright” Magnus nodded, giving Isabelle a grateful smile.

“No, you can’t go alone” Alec said, kicking his chair back as he stood up. “I’ll go with you.”

Magnus looked up at Alec with surprise, unable to control the smile that broke out on his face. He was surprised by Alec’s volunteering, but more surprised that Alec actually looked excited about it. Clearly, the Prince hadn’t had much of an adventure in his past life of being Prince. 

“Alright then” Magnus said, smiling. “We shall be back in no time.”

“Be careful” Clary warned. “Jonny can be very manipulative.”

“Just my kind of man” Magnus chuckled, starting out the door with Alec at his heels. 


	25. Night Shade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 25 :') I actually enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope you enjoy reading it !!

Jonny Rook’s place was only two streets away — number twenty-seven on pit street. It wasn’t to hard to find considering he had a large sign on his front door reading ‘Jonny Rook’s potions store’. Despite his misleading sign,Magnus and Alec both knew that he wasn’t just selling potions. Magnus knocked on the door three times with Alec at his side, both men trying to look as confident as physically possible. The door opened straight away to reveal a young boy with sandy blonde hair, his eyes wide and curious as he stared up at Magnus and Alec.

“You’re not Jonny Rook” Magnus said out loud, scanning the boy up and down with raised eyebrows.

The boy couldn’t have been more than fourteen or fifteen, his youthful features only just starting to mould into that of a man. Now Magnus had never met Jonny Rook, but he was entirely certain that the boy standing in front of him was not the manipulative drug dealer.

“Thats true” the boy replied, crossing his arms over his chest suspiciously. “And you’re not the tax collector.”

“Thats also true” Magnus said and then he gestured to Alec. “But he is. He’s the new tax collector.”

Alec looked alarmed to be appointed the new tax collector and shook his head quickly. “No, no, I’m not.”

“Who are you two goof balls and what do you want with my father?” the boy asked, amusement tainting his cool features. 

“My name is Magnus. And this is Alexander” Magnus said, gesturing to himself and then Alec.

“It’s just Alec” Alec corrected, fiddling with a tear in his pocket. “And we’re here to order something from your father-uh…Jonny Rook.”

The boy stared at them suspiciously, his eyes darting from the smirking Magnus to the nervous Alec. He was used to people knocking on his door demanding to meet with his father, but these two standing in front of him, they didn’t look like they did this often. 

“Right” he said eventually, glancing over his shoulder to scan the room for his working father. “Just wait here. I’ll go fetch him for you.”

“Thank you, kind sir” Magnus said mockingly, watching curiously as the boy disappeared down the hall shouting his father’s name.

“Kind sir?” Alec asked, raising an eyebrow.

Magnus shrugged. “I thought it was nice. Might earn us some kindness from his father.”

“You can keep dreaming” Alec murmured and Magnus laughed.

After a few moments of waiting, a middle aged man with the same blonde hair as his son and sparkling blue eyes appeared around the corner, a wide smile on his face as he examined his new customers.

“Well good morning” he grinned, his voice light and chirpy. “How can I help you two lovely fellas?”.

Magnus gave Alec a ‘told you we’d earn kindness from the father’ look before fixating all his attention onto the friendly Jonny Rook. The man was holding a small bag of rice in one hand with a small quill in the other. By the looks of things, he was a very busy man. 

“We were looking for a…poison” Magnus told him hesitantly, unsure of whether there needed to be a code-word said between them or not. “Not for anything bad…of course. We just need-“.

Jonny held up a hand to stop Magnus’ babbling and smiled. “It’s quite alright, lad. You don’t need to explain what you need your poison for. Quite frankly, I don’t care. All you have to do is tell me what you’re looking for.”

“Great” Magnus said, relief clear in the way his shoulders slumped and his hands became less restless.

“We’re looking for a poison called Night Shade” Alec informed Jonny when Magnus didn’t. 

“Night Shade, huh?” Jonny asked, raising an eyebrow. “Just a couple of weeks ago I had someone order Night Shade. Not many people order that one. It’s slow to react you see.”

“Well thats the one” Alec said, trying not to sound like he was rushing things along. 

“Righty-O” Jonny clicked his tongue and stepped to the side, inviting his new customers into his home. 

Magnus stepped inside first, giving Jonny a polite nod as if to say thank you. Alec was quick to follow, sliding his nervous hands into his pocket in order to keep them out of sight. Jonny Rook’s house was a lot bigger than the other ones in the lower towns. Jonny’s ‘potions’ business must pay good money. His walls were littered with oil paintings — some of the kingdom’s landscape, some self portraits of himself and his son. There was no sign of a woman — his wife and mother of his son — anywhere, which seemed a little odd to both Magnus and Alec. Jonny lead them down the long corridor littered with paintings, quick to point out that the ones illustrating the ocean were for sail. But neither Alec or Magnus were ones for buying art. 

“So, do many people come to you asking for poison?” Magnus asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

Jonny put down his bag of rice and gave Magnus a mischievous smile. “It’s what I’m known for, lad.”

“So more people come here for poisons than say…medicine?” Alec asked curiously.

They entered the living room where several cabinets filled with glass bottles of liquid enclosed the room. Jonny moved towards the closest one, rummaging through a few empty bottles while reading the names of filled ones.

“People go to Daniel for medicine” Jonny sighed. “Besides, half of the potions I sell are in fact, poisons.”

He moved towards the second closest cabinet and started rummaging through that one while Magnus and Alec simply exchanged curious glances. 

“Doesn’t it bother you that people buy poisons?” Magnus asked, arching one eyebrow.

“Why would it?” Jonny chuckled. “All I care ‘bout is the money.”

“Clearly” Alec murmured, glancing around at the bags of gold that littered the lounges. 

Jonny sighed in frustration as he moved onto the third cabinet. There were so many potions inside each one, it was no wonder why the man was struggling to find what he wanted. 

“KIT!” he shouted, his fingers moving rapidly inside the cabinet. “KIT I NEED YOU TO HELP ME OUT HERE!”.

The blonde boy who had answered the door poked his head around the corner, his eyebrows raised. “I thought you didn’t like me meddling with this stuff?”.

“Night Shade” Jonny said as if his son had never spoken. “Check the cabinets at the back.”

Kit let out an agitated sigh before storming over towards the cabinets at the back. Magnus and Alec watched in silence as both Rook and his son rummaged around for the Night Shade poison. Eventually, Jonny found the right poison and ordered his son out of the room. Kit didn’t look too pleased to be pushed around like an unwanted child, but he made no argument against his father. Jonny held the poison in his hands, a twisted smile on his face. Alec wanted to say something, but he quickly thought better of it. 

“So thats Night Shade, huh?” Magnus asked, staring at the blue liquid inside the bottle that Jonny held.

“Sure is” Jonny chuckled. “Very painful, I might add.”

“Oh I know” Alec said, a little louder than he had originally intended.

Jonny raised an eyebrow and Magnus shuddered at the memory of Alec being in pain. Back then, it hadn’t meant much. But now, with Magnus’ deep feelings for Alec, the thought of him in pain physically hurt. 

“You’re a survivor then?” Jonny asked, his eyes darting from the Night Shade to Alec.

“Uh, yeah” Alec answered, slightly embarrassed. “It isn’t a pleasant poison at all.”

Jonny chuckled and handed the bottle to Magnus, his blue eyes searching their pockets for any sign of money.

“So how much?” Magnus asked, twirling the bottle in his hands. 

“Ten pounds” Jonny replied simply.

Magnus thought back to the few coins Luke had given him. The most he received was probably about six pounds. But that was just his guess. He glanced sideways at Alec, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he’d have at least four pounds on him. But Alec looked just as tense as he felt. 

“Ten pounds?” Magnus asked, trying for a playful tone. “Surely it’s only worth around, I don’t know, five or six pounds.”

Jonny frowned, all of his light and chirpiness drifting out from his features. “Five or six pounds? You’ve got be fooling me, sir. Ten pounds is bargain enough for Night Shade.”

“You see, we just don’t have that kind of mon-“ Alec started, but Jonny interrupted him by snatching the poison out from Magnus’ hands. 

“If you can’t pay…leave” he said coldly.

His transformation from a friendly business man to an angry hustler was more than just surprising. It was altogether bone chilling. Alec knew people had mood swings — himself included. But Jonny Rook completely changed. He was no longer smiling or risking light chuckles. He was simply glaring at them, his blue eyes darkening so that they were almost black.

“We didn’t mean to upset you” Magnus said hesitantly, his eyes darting from Rook’s eyes to the poison in his hands. “We just really need that poison.”

“And I really need that ten pounds” Jonny replied.

“Surely six pounds is enough” Magnus said, his voice on the verge of pleading. 

Jonny let out a bitter laugh. “Like I said…if you can’t pay, you need to leave.”

“We really _really_ need that poison” Magnus said again, taking an intimidating step towards Rook. 

“Are you going to steal it off me?” Jonny asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We don’t want to” Alec said before Magnus could reply. “But we will if you won’t take our six pounds.”

Jonny stared at them, his eyes wide and angry. “Who the hell do you think you are?!”.

“Well I’m Magnus” Magnus said, gesturing to himself with a dangerous smile. “I’m a magician.”

“And I’m Alec” Alec chimed in, taking a step forward so that he stood directly beside Magnus. “And I’m the Prince and future King of New Yorkshire.”

“P-Prince of New Yorkshire?” Jonny asked, his eyes widening further. 

Alec gave him a one-sided smile. “Yes, that is correct.”

“So will you take six pounds or will we leave you with nothing?” Magnus asked.

Jonny stood up taller so that he felt less intimidated by Magnus and Alec — or at least, to make them think that he was less intimidated. He wasn’t going to give in to a couple of strangers who thought they could get away with _manipulating_ him. He was supposed to be the manipulator. 

“You will pay me ten pounds, or you can leave” he told them firmly, his eyes narrowed. 

“Very well” Magnus said, exchanging quick glances with Alec. “Have it your way.”

For a brief moment, Jonny actually thought that the two men were going to turn around and leave. But he was wrong. It was Alec who acted first, his leg striking Jonny’s knee with fighting force. The sound of a leg snapping echoed through the room and Jonny quickly lost his balance. He fell back onto his back side, the poison still firm in his grip. Magnus acted next, stepping forward and smashing his foot hard against Jonny’s chest. It was enough force so that Jonny wouldn’t try and get up again.

“Y-you bastards” Jonny said through gritted teeth, glaring up at Magnus. 

“My parents are married” Alec said with a sly smile. “I am no _bastard_.”

With Magnus holding Rook in place, Alec bent down to snatch the poison from the other man’s grip. Jonny growled when he did so, but Alec took no notice. 

“I think thats all for today” Magnus said with an amused smile in Alec’s direction. “What do you think?”.

“Yeah, I think that will be all” Alec grinned.

Magnus slowly removed his foot off of Jonny’s chest and smiled. “It was lovely doing business with you.”

Just as Magnus and Alec turned around to leave, Jonny called out to them. His voice sounded strained and hoarse — like he’d just woken up in the cold hours of the morning. Magnus was hesitant to turn around, but Alec shifted his body without thought. 

“If you’re going to take what you please” Rook started, struggling to sit up. “The least you could do is leave me that six pounds to feed my boy.”

Magnus thought of Kit for a moment. He was old enough to work, though he doubted that he did anything else other than assist his father. If this ‘potions’ business was the only thing supporting their family, he felt the need to leave some money. He didn’t like Rook, not at all, not after his dark side was revealed. But he did feel bad for acting like a heartless thief. He glanced over at Alec and could tell that the other man was thinking the exact same thing. 

“Fine” he said, shoving the money out of his back pocket. “We’re sorry for the trouble.”

Rook rolled his eyes. “No you’re not. Get out of here.”

Magnus and Alec wasted no more time exiting the home. They passed Kit on the way out, his eyes were narrowed and he looked as though he were about to pounce. But he didn’t, which was a relief. Once Magnus and Alec were outside, Alec handed Magnus the poison with a proud smile on his face.

“Well, we got the poison” he said.

“That we did” Magnus agreed, taking the poison from Alec’s hand, their fingers brushing ever so slightly. 

Alec let his hand fall down at his side awkwardly while he searched for something to say. 

“You know, we made a pretty good team back there” he said, his eyes struggling to meet Magnus’.

“Yeah, we did, didn’t we?” Magnus chuckled. “The poison thieves. That should be our duo name.”

Alec laughed and shook his head. “No way, the poison thieves will not be our duo name.”

“How about, the Night Shade thieves?” he suggested instead. 

“Still no” Alec laughed.

“Rook slayer?” Magnus asked, now sounding desperate.

“Rook slayer?” Alec echoed, and his mouth hurt from smiling. “Oh god, no.”

“Hm” Magnus thought for a moment, trying hard not to get distracted by Alec’s beautiful and genuine smile. 

“Oh no, he’s thinking” Alec murmured.

Magnus rolled his eyes at him before clicking his fingers excitedly. “I’ve got one! How about…the sword and the magician?”.

“The sword and the magician?” Alec asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m the magician” Magnus said, gesturing to himself.

“Thats all very well” Alec said, giving Magnus a confused look. “But I’m not a sword.”

“Really?” Magnus asked. “Oh dear, I hadn’t noticed.”

Alec rolled his eyes.

“Your the sword because the way you struck Rook…” he paused for a moment, the image of Alec’s leg striking Rook’s knee replaying inside his head. “It reminded me of the way a sword would strike the heart.”

“And thats why I’m the sword?” Alec asked, clearly confused. “Because of the way I kick?”.

“There’s probably more to it” Magnus said, waving his hand at Alec dismissively. “But we should probably return to Luke’s house to display our success.”

Alec’s lips curled into a smile. “So the sword and the magician work together for the first time?”.

“I would have never seen that coming” Magnus chuckled. “Not even in my wildest dreams.”


	26. Seven Deadly Sins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update, I've had yet another case of severe writer's block. It's honestly awful. But on a happier note, here is chapter 26! The climax is on its way I promise!! Hope you enjoy :')

Clary and Isabelle were cleaning themselves up for the day when Magnus and Alec returned. They entered the room rather cheerfully, both smiling and continuing on with the conversation they had been engaging in before they’d entered the room. Clary’s eyes were immediately drawn to the Night Shade poison in Magnus’ hand. She felt a huge weight lift off of her shoulders and relief quickly washed over her.

“So you got it then?” she asked, standing up from her seated position across from Isabelle. “No trouble?”.

Magnus and Alec exchanged an unreadable look.

“No trouble at all” Magnus smirked.

Clary stared at them in confusion, eyebrows raised, but she made no attempt to question them. Magnus handed her the poison, silently questioning her whether it was the correct poison or not. She nodded and handed it back to him, glancing sideways at Alec to catch him watching her. She still felt bad for poisoning him, she just hoped that they might be able to put it behind them. 

“So thats step one complete” Isabelle announced, appearing behind Clary with a satisfied smile. 

“Yeah” Alec nodded, glancing around the room in search for Jocelyn and Luke. “Where are the others?”.

“Luke walked my mother to the castle” Clary sighed. “My father will grow suspicious if my mother spends too much time away.”

“Won’t he already be suspicious?” Alec asked. “I mean, your mother did spend the night away.”

Clary shook her head. “They don’t have that kind of relationship.”

“How’s whatshisname?” Magnus asked, gesturing to the still sleeping Jace.

“His name is Jace” Isabelle scolded him. “And he’s doing just the same as before.”

“He hasn’t woken up at all?” Alec asked.

Isabelle and Clary both shook their heads. They’d been frequently checking on Jace all morning, but he remained sound asleep, his breathing faint but steady. His bruises were slowly healing and scars were starting to form all over his chest. Alec hated his brother looking that way, but he tried not to think about it too much, knowing that they’d get their revenge soon. First Valentine — and then Sebastian. 

“So, when are we forging our attack?” Magnus asked, his voice drawing Alec back to the conversation.

“Tonight” Clary replied quickly. 

“Well its about god damn time” Magnus said, and he even chuckled when he said.

“Aren’t you nervous?” Isabelle asked him. “I mean, you probably have the most important job.”

“I avoid feeling nervous” Magnus told her, his mouth pressed into a tight lipped smile.

“That doesn’t answer my question” Isabelle stated. “So I’m going to assume you _are_ nervous.”

“Well aren’t you?” Magnus asked her. “I mean, you are going to be in a knights uniform pretending to be a man.”

“Thats nothing new” Isabelle smirked.

They all looked at her, eyebrows raised.

“A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do” she said with a shrug, turning away to hide her smile. 

“Is Luke coming back?” Alec asked, quickly changing the subject of the awkward conversation. 

“Yeah” Clary said, glancing subconsciously over at the door. “He’s going to stay here with Jace while we murder the King.”

“Oh lovely” Magnus said, flopping himself onto the closest chair. “So until we commit one of the seven deadly sins, what shall we do?”.

“I don’t actually think murder is one of the seven deadly sins” Alec pointed out.

Magnus raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “Is that so? Why didn’t anyone tell me? I could’ve murdered everyone I despise years ago.”

“It’s still a sin” Alec corrected himself. “Just not one of the seven deadly ones.”

“Well since you’re such an expert, big brother, why don’t you tell us what the seven deadly sins are?” Isabelle asked with a mocking smile.

Alec glared at her. “I was just explaining, Iz.”

“No, go on. Now I’m curious” Magnus said, eyeing Alec with interest.

Alec swallowed hard before sliding his hands into his pockets. “Well…there’s gluttony, sloth, envy, greed, pride, wrath and…uh…lust.”

They all stared at him, eyebrows raised. Clary and Isabelle both looked completely and utterly surprised by Alec’s knowledge of the supposed ‘Seven deadly sins’ while Magnus seemed to look into it deeper. He hadn’t known it before hand, but by the looks of things, Alec was a strong believer in God. Idris, the largest kingdom in the country, was a Christian nation. Hence why the kingdom of New Yorkshire — Alec in particular — might believe in God and the certain religious beliefs that surround him.

“How the hell do you know all that?” Isabelle asked, finally able to voice her surprise.

Alec gave her a light shrug. “Grandfather taught me a little bit.”

“Grandfather died when you were eight, what kind of man tells a kid about sins?” Isabelle inquired. 

Magnus stared at Alec, waiting for the boy to answer. But despite Alec’s thoughtful look, he never answered his sister’s question. Instead, he avoided the subject by tending to the sleeping Jace who supposedly needed a blanket. Isabelle and Clary exchanged confused glances before deciding that they wanted no more part in the continuation of the conversation. Without any dismissal, they turned away and ventured off into the other rooms down the hall. Magnus stared after them, confused as to the reasoning behind their departure. He didn’t bother asking them though, he was more interested in watching Alec fumble with Jace’s blankets and cushioning. The way Alec was taking care of Jace, it was as though Jace were a small child who had fallen ill. It was quite beautiful to watch, though Magnus couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy wash over him. 

“He doesn’t deserve you” he said flatly, gesturing to the sleeping Jace.

Alec looked up in surprise, glancing over at Magnus as though he wasn’t sure if the other man had spoken or not. But when Magnus’ eyes met his, he realised with a sudden jolt that Magnus had in fact said something.

“What makes you say that?” he asked curiously, removing himself from Jace’s side.

Magnus shrugged. “Would he take care of you like that if you were injured?”.

“Of course he would” Alec said without thought.

“But would he really?” Magnus asked. “I mean, when he thought you were dead and Clary poisoned you, he didn’t seem _that_ worried.”

“You just don’t know him” Alec said, not unkindly. 

Magnus shrugged. “What ever you say, Alexander. I’m just simply stating what I think.”

Alec nodded hesitantly before starting his way towards the kitchen. He didn’t know why, but he felt as though he needed to move away from Jace in order to have a proper conversation with Magnus. He sat down at the kitchen table, glancing down at his map of the castle that he’d drawn earlier. Despite his fixated gaze on the sheet of paper, he could still see Magnus making his way over from the corner of his eye. He sat down across from him, swinging his legs up so they rested on the bench unprofessionally. 

“Luke might not appreciate your feet on the table” Alec pointed out.

Magnus gave him a small smile. “Luke doesn’t have to know.”

Alec laughed and shook his head, drumming his fingers lightly against the table. He wanted to say something to that, but he never really was good with quick-witted remarks. Magnus watched him curiously, noting with some satisfaction that he had made Alec smile. 

“Are you nervous for tonight?” he asked.

“My job’s the easiest” Alec replied.

“Not necessarily” Magnus disagreed. “You do have to wear an awful guards uniform after all.”

“I’m not to fussed over fashion, Magnus” Alec laughed.

“Oh right” Magnus said, grinning. “That explains EVERYTHING.”

“What is that supposed to mean?!” Alec asked, glancing down at his plain brown shirt and regular pants.

“Nothing nothing” Magnus chuckled, covering his mouth with his hand. 

Alec narrowed his eyes at him. “I dress perfectly fine thank you very much.”

“Oh of course you do” Magnus said, looking Alec up and down. “But I think you’d look better without that terrible shirt of yours.”

Alec felt his cheeks heat up almost instantly. No doubt that they were bright red — causing him to look like a ripe tomato. He bowed his head as if to hide it, but he knew that wouldn’t do much good. 

“Oi!” called a husky voice from the lounge. “Who put this itchy blanket on me?”.

“Jace?” Alec stood up immediately and hurried over, quick to greet an unhappy and tired looking Jace.

“Yes, Alec, that is my name” Jace said, throwing the blanket off of him. 

“How odd, he seems to be in a rather unsatisfactory mood” Magnus noted, walking over with his head tilted to the side. “Usually when one has a very long and peaceful sleep, they are alive and well…happy.”

“I do apologise” Jace said bitterly. “But did you go through hours and hours of torture?”.

“Not recently, no” Magnus replied. 

Alec let out a long sigh before calling Clary and Isabelle over. They ran into the room like small children and greeted Jace with a dozen questions. Jace answered most of them with “I’m fine” and an unconvincing nod of the head. Alec could tell that despite Jace’s grumpy mood and disinterest, he was doing better. His wounds were healing and he could move a little easily now. 

“Oh and we forgot to mention” Isabelle was saying, her bright eyes wide and excited. “We’re killing the King tonight.”

Jace’s eyes widened and he instinctively looked to Alec for confirmation. 

“Is that true?” he asked. “Are you killing the King tonight?”.

“Yes it’s true” Alec sighed. “We’ve planned it all.”

“Without me?” Jace asked.

“Well you were asleep” Magnus pointed out. 

Jace narrowed his eyes and tried to sit up, but Alec’s hand shot out to stop him. There was a moment then, with Alec’s hand on Jace’s chest, that Magnus felt like he’d been stabbed in the heart. He knew that neither of the men really felt anything but brother-ship towards each other — even Alec. But Alec was confused about his feelings and the way he allowed himself to look at Jace just killed Magnus. 

  
“It’s alright, Jace” Alec said softly. “You can sit this one out.”

“No, I have to help” Jace protested.

“We don’t need it” Clary said simply. 

“What do you mean?” Jace asked. “Of course you need my help.”

“No, we really don’t” Alec sighed. 

“We’ve got it all sorted out” Clary went on, looking at Jace sympathetically. “Magnus is going to poison the King’s food by sneaking into the kitchen. This will weaken him and make him easier to kill. Thats when I come in. After dinner, I’ll sneak into my father’s chambers and end his life.”

“What about the guards?” Jace asked. “You clearly haven’t thought about them. Maybe you do need my help.”

Alec let out a small laugh. “Isabelle and I will be the guards. We’ve thought this through, Jace. Don’t worry.”

Jace grunted and relaxed back down into the lounge. If it wasn’t for his injuries, he would have gotten up and demanded that he had a role in the assassination of the King. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his companions to get the job done, he knew that they could. It was more the fact that he would be doing _nothing_ that bothered him. The front door swung open and Luke entered the room with a solemn look on his face. 

“Did you get the poison?” he asked, looking at Magnus in particular.

Magnus held it up and shook it in between his fingers. “Sure did.”

“And how are you feeling?” Luke asked, turning his attention onto Jace.

“I’m feeling rather foul” Jace admitted. “I take it I have you to babysit me.”

Luke gave Jace a forced smile. “Believe me, I’m not to happy about it either.”


	27. It's Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, here's chapter 27!! You guys have been waiting for the Malec, and it's almost here!! Hope you enjoy :')

As the sun set, the team readied themselves for the long night ahead. No one said a word as the thought of finally killing the King plagued their minds. It was finally time to end Valentine’s rule and free the poor people he tormented. It was finally the night where fate decided whether they’d be ending a war, or starting one. They all sat around the dining table, Magnus with his Night Shade poison, Clary with the dagger she’d use to kill the King, and Alec and Izzy with as little clothing as possible. Jace remained on the lounge, his eyes piercing into the small dagger he twirled in his hands. Luke stood in the kitchen, his arms crossed over his chest as he peered out the window. He watched silently as the last set of guards made their patrol across the street. As soon as the guards disappeared, it was his job to guide Clary towards the castle. Despite the escape of the prisoners, Clary would still be expected to dine with her family. And thats exactly what she was going to do. Magnus was going to come along with them too in order to slip into the kitchens. His job was to slip the Night Shade poison into the King’s dinner so that when Clary goes to kill him, he’ll be too weak to fight back. 

“Have they finished up yet?” Clary asked, drawing Luke back to the conversation. 

Luke nodded and pushed himself off of the cupboards. Grabbing his jacket, he started towards the door, only glancing back once to make sure that Clary and Magnus were following.

“Good luck!” Isabelle said as she pulled Clary into a hug.

They’d only been friends for a little while, but they’d both discovered a deep friendship growing between them.

“You too” Clary said back as she let out a shaky sigh. “You know which guards to attack, right?”.

“Alec’s got it covered” Isabelle smirked.

Clary nodded and glanced over at Jace. “Are you going to be alright?”.

“Of course” Jace said bitterly. “Why wouldn’t I be?”.

“You look like you might stab someone with that knife” Clary said hesitantly.

Jace looked up at her with a smile. “Not anyone with a pretty face like yours.”

“Wow” Isabelle laughed. “That was a terrible attempt at flirtation.”

Jace gave his step sister an irritated glare. “I’m a little rusty, okay?”.

While Isabelle, Jace and Clary had their last minute banter, Alec decided that he’d take the time to wish Magnus good luck. Despite the fact that he felt extremely under-dressed with a thin white under-garment, he didn’t seem to care about his appearance as he approached Magnus. The other man was leaning against the door frame while Luke examined the streets around them. Magnus’ eyes lit up with interest as Alec approached him, curiosity and eagerness welling up inside him. 

“You coming along with us, Alexander?” he asked with a smirk. 

Alec shook his head. “No, I have to wait a little longer. I uh, I just wanted to wish you luck.”

“How thoughtful of you” Magnus smiled. “Thank you. And good luck to you also.”

“Thanks” Alec muttered, lowering his gaze.

“Hey” Magnus said, straightening up with concern. “Are you alright?’.

Alec stared at Magnus in surprise. He found Magnus’ quick concern very sweet and very flattering. Despite everything he’d previously thought and said about Magnus — he really thought of him as a good man. Alec didn’t know what came over him then, but he decided that before Magnus left, he’d tell him exactly that. 

“I-uh, you know, I never really apologised-“ Alec started, but Magnus held up a hand to stop him. 

“You apologise to me far to often, Alexander” Magnus chuckled. “I don’t want your apologies anymore. I just want one last thing before I go.”

“What is it?” Alec asked.

“This” Magnus leaned forward slowly and pressed his lips lightly against Alec’s.

It was only a quick kiss — lasting only three to five seconds — but it was long enough to send alarm bells ringing inside Alec’s head. When Magnus pulled away, Alec could only stare. He could still feel Magnus’ lips against his own, the little tingling feeling that sent butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. 

In the distance, Luke stood behind a pilar, wide eyed and confused. He’d seen the whole thing play out before him. He saw Magnus lean forward and kiss Alec. Two men. _Kissing._ He stayed where he was for a few minutes before walking over, deciding it was best if he acted like he hadn’t seen a thing. 

“You all ready?” he asked as neutrally as possible, avoiding eye contact with both Magnus and Alec.

Alec stepped away from Magnus instinctively and scratched the back of his head, fighting back the heat that threatened to rise up into his cheeks. Clary started towards the door with Isabelle right behind her. She looked nervous, which wasn’t too surprising since she was about to kill her own father.

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be” she sighed.

“Me too” Magnus said with a quick glance in Alec’s direction.

Luke swallowed hard before straightening himself up. “Okay then. Let’s go.”

 

**

 

Luke lead Magnus and Clary down a quiet and uncharted alleyway that escorted them straight towards the castle. Luke had been down that alley many times before. Especially in his younger years when he’d sneak Jocelyn in and out of the castle. No one, not even the guards, ventured through the alleyway unless they were homeless or criminals. This made it a lot easier for Luke as he tried not to be seen by anyone.

“You will head straight back to your house as soon as Magnus and I are in positions, right?” Clary asked anxiously as she slid her dagger into her boot.

“You know I will” Luke told her quietly. 

“Good. Because Alec and Isabelle are relying on you” Clary told him.

Luke glanced behind his shoulder to catch her staring at him. “I said I would, Clary. You have my word.”

“I know, I’m sorry” Clary sighed. “I’m just nervous.”

“You know you don’t have to do this” Magnus said gently. “I can do it for you.”

“You’re already doing enough” Clary said, grateful for his offer. “And it has to be me.”

“Why?” Luke asked. “I can do it — hell, I’d love to do it.”

“I can do this” Clary told them both firmly. “And I will do this.”

“You’re a brave, kid” Magnus smiled proudly. “You’ll make a great Queen.”

Luke glanced sideways at Magnus with an unreadable look in his eye. Whenever he looked at Magnus, or heard him speak, he couldn’t help but replay the image of his lips crushing against Alec’s. It was an image he didnot want to plague his mind. Magnus caught him staring and gave him a quizzical look. Neither of them kept eye contact for long before Clary hurried them along. 

“The back door” she pointed out, quickening her pace. 

“You know where to go from here?” Luke asked her as he kicked open the door.

“I do” she said with a quick nod. “Thank you, Luke. I owe you.”

Luke stepped forward and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. “Be careful. Don’t give anything away. Just find your mother and act as if everything is just fine.”

“I will” she whispered, peeling her eyes away from Luke only to glance at Magnus. “And good luck to you.”

Magnus smiled and bowed his head. “A wish of luck from you is all I need.”

“I’m relying on you” she told him, pursing her lips as she said it.

“I know” Magnus replied seriously. “You have my word that I’ll try my best.”

Clary nodded and took a deep breath. She glanced anxiously at the hall awaiting her and forced herself to detach herself from the safety of Luke and Magnus’ company. She had a job to do and she knew she was the only one who could do it. So without any last glances back at her companions, she disappeared down the hall, her lips forced into a confident smile. This was it. 

 

**

 

“Are you alright?” Isabelle asked as she watched her brother pace the floor in front of her. “You look as though you’re going to pass out any minute now.”

Ever since Luke, Clary and Magnus left, Alec had been red faced and bothered. He hadn’t said a word to Isabelle and Jace, instead, he’d just begun pacing.

“He’s probably nervous” Jace said without looking over. “You know how Alec gets with these things.”

Normally, Alec would have reacted to Jace’s statement. But this time, he didn’t seem to have heard it. His mind was racing and he looked as though he were calculating some strenuous mathematical equation. But he wasn’t. He was thinking about Magnus and the _kiss._ It had only been for a few seconds, but in those few seconds, Alec felt as though every wall he had built around his heart had come crashing down. And despite the fact he felt wrong and dirty — he wanted more. 

“You know, I think its something else” Isabelle went on, talking about Alec as if he wasn’t there. 

“Like what?” Jace asked. 

“I don’t know” Isabelle sighed. “But he doesn’t normally look _this_ nervous.”

“Well he doesn’t normally take part in an assassination to kill the King” Jace replied sourly.

“Whats your problem?” Isabelle asked him with a scowl. 

“Nothing” Jace lied. “You just worry too much.”

Isabelle rolled her eyes. “Oh I’m sorry for caring about our brother, Jace. Maybe I should be a little more like you. Angry and bitter.”

“I’m only angry and bitter because I was tortured for a couple of hours!” Jace snapped. “So, do forgive me!”.

Alec stopped pacing the floor and glanced over at his siblings. He’d heard their bickering faintly as thoughts of the kiss plagued his mind, but Jace’s loud voice had quickly snapped him out of it. He realised with a sudden jolt that he had a job to do. He could worry about Magnus and the kiss later. But right now, he had to prepare Isabelle for the job they had ahead of them.

“Izzy, we need to go through another run down of the plan” he said, walking forwards so that he was closer to his siblings.

“See, he’s fine” Jace said with one unhappy sigh.

Isabelle ignored her step brother and gladly moved closer to Alec. She listened in silence as Alec started to explain what it was exactly they had to do. With some reluctance, she repeated the plan to Alec. A battle strategy that made sure every solider knew what they were doing. And once Alec was satisfied that Isabelle knew what they were doing, they waited in silence for Luke to enter the room. 

 

**

 

Once Clary was out of sight, Luke lead Magnus towards the palace kitchens. They walked in silence, Magnus too concentrated to speak and Luke too disgusted to speak. As much as it bothered him, Luke swore to himself that he would not bring up the _kiss_ until Magnus had completed his task. If he did, he could risk Magnus’ refusal to perform his part of the plan. And that would just ruin everything. So as they ventured down the quiet hall, Luke bit his tongue in order to hold back everything he wanted to say. 

“So how will I know which dish is the King’s?” Magnus asked, his voice quickly drawing Luke back to the land of the living. 

“Tags” Luke replied simply.

“Tags?” Magnus asked.

“Tags” Luke repeated.

“That helps a lot” Magnus said sarcastically. “Thank you.”

Luke swallowed hard and fought back the comment that threatened to escape his lips. Magnus stared at him curiously, unsure of what had caused Luke to become so hasty. Maybe it was just nerves. But what did Luke have to be nervous about? All he had to do was watch over Jace. 

“Are you alright?” he asked quietly.

Luke nodded.

“Are you sure?” Magnus asked again. 

“Yes” Luke said coldly. “Just focus on the mission.”

“See, now I won’t be able to focus because I’ll be to busy wondering what was bothering you” Magnus said, stopping suddenly so that Luke would be forced to face him. 

“You should mind your own business!” Luke snapped.

“I’m not very good at that” Magnus said with a frown. “So go on. Spill. What’s bothering you?”.

Luke glared at him. “Do you really want to know?”.

Magnus nodded.

Luke couldn’t keep it to himself any longer. What he saw — it wasn’t natural. He knew that people like Alec and Magnus were out there, you had to be an ignorant fool to think that they didn’t exist. But Luke just hadn’t seen that coming. Both Alec and Magnus had been sleeping under _his_ roof. The devil found it’s way into _his_ home. Luke didn’t consider himself to be very religious, but he still believed in the God and the Bible. Despite the fact he knew that he should never hate people for their appearance, race, ect, he couldn’t help but automatically despise Magnus and Alec for their attraction to each other. 

“I saw you” he said finally, his voice barely audible. “I saw you and…and Alec.”

Magnus hesitated a moment, slow to jump to any dramatic conclusions. He could tell that by the look on the other man’s face, Luke hadn’t just seen Magnus and Alec talking. He’d seen something else. He’d seen the kiss. Despite the fact that he knew exactly what Luke saw, he had to remain calm and act as though he didn’t know what the other man was talking about.

“You saw the Prince and I?” Magnus asked. “Well, yes Lucian, you do have eyes.”

“Don’t call me that!” Luke snapped. “And don’t act dumb. I know you know what I saw.”

“You must have seen wrong” Magnus said with a simple shrug. “Because I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about.”

“You _kissed_ him!” Luke hissed, trying to hold back the disgusted phrases that replayed themselves over and over again inside his head. “I saw you kiss him before we left.”

Panic swept through Magnus like a rough gust of wind. He’d been so sure no one was around to see them when he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Alec’s. It was a beautiful moment that he would never take back. But now — he wasn’t sure what he’d say to the disgusted man in front of him. Luke was a good man and Magnus would never dream of hurting him. But if threatening him was necessary…

“Have you told anyone?” Magnus asked, his voice shaking slightly.

Luke shook his head.

“Good. Because Alec is not to blame for this” Magnus said and when Luke opened his mouth to protest, he went on. “ _I_ kissed him, he did not kiss me. I’m the foul one. I’m almost certain that Alec despises me right now anyway. He took no part in this. So, please, when this is all over, blame me.”


	28. Poisonous Hearts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 28, hope you enjoy :') This chapter is mostly a plot chapter so there ain't much malec, I'm sorry, it will come!

Despite their confrontation, Luke and Magnus managed to find the kitchens and work together in order to make sure Magnus was not seen whilst entering the room. Servants were hurrying in and out of the kitchens, all looking as though they’d been running a 50 kilometre marathon. Magnus slid past them easily, using the large groups of women as a shield as he snuck his way into the kitchen. Luke disappeared instantly, leaving a nervous Magnus all alone to complete his task. There were so many different dishes in the room — how would he ever be able to tell which one was Valentine’s? 

“Excuse me” asked a bitter voice from behind him.

He spun around to see a middle aged plump woman with a wooden spoon in her hands. She didn’t look at all happy and Magnus was nervous about what she was going to do with that wooden spoon of hers. 

“Yes, ma’am?” he asked politely, trying for one of his most charming smiles. 

“No one is tending to Valentine’s meal!” she snapped. “He’ll be expecting it in five minutes. Do your job!”.

Magnus looked startled for a moment, confused as to how he got chosen to be the one to “tend” to Valentine’s meal. Was it fate? The woman must of noticed his confusion because she leaned forward on her toes and pressed her lips lightly against his ear.

“The Queen sent me” she whispered. “She told me to find you.”

“Oh” Magnus said, relief washing over him. “Well, thank you.”

“It’s just over there” the woman gestured to a black bowl towards the end of the kitchens. “Hurry.”

Magnus nodded his head and gave the woman a quick smile. Before he knew it, she returned to her job bossing people around and he was making his way towards the back of the kitchen. No one around him paid him much attention which was a relief. But he still made sure to remain unseen as he approached the King’s meal. Inside the bowl was a freshly made chicken soup. It smelt divine. Shaking his head to dispatch of the distraction, he took hold of the Night Shade and glanced over his shoulder. Everyone around him was too busy to notice him. So acting quickly, he opened the bottle and poured the blue liquid into the soup. The poison quickly dissolved and the soup looked exactly as it had before it was tainted. Grinning, he clapped his hands and turned away, greeted by two guards who didn’t at all look happy.

“Come with us” they said, yanking him by the arm. “You were one of the prisoners.”

“What?” Magnus asked, trying to remove himself from their grip. “Me? A prisoner? Never.”

The guards rolled their eyes and took him away, showing no sign of suspecting his role in the kitchens. Despite the fact that Magnus was going to spend his night locked up in a prison cell, he didn’t care. One, because he’d gotten the job done and two, he’d kissed Alec. That was what he’d been waiting for and if he were to die — he’d die proud and happy.

 

**

 

Luke kicked open his front door and ran inside, breathing heavily as he struggled to catch his breath. Alec and Isabelle had been sitting at the dining table, but with Luke’s aggressive entrance, they stood up instantly.

“Are Clary and Magnus in the castle?” Isabelle asked, searching Luke’s face for any sign of fear or defeat.

“Clary should be with her mother and Magnus should be in the kitchens” Luke said, jerking his thumb back towards the castle. 

“Now, it’s our turn” Isabelle said with an excited smile.

“Don’t draw attention to yourselves” Luke told them, his eyes resting mainly on Isabelle as he couldn’t bring himself to look at Alec.

“I’m good at that” Alec said, starting forward towards the door. “But she’s not.”

“Hey!” Isabelle snapped. “I can be boring and bland!”.

“Just be careful” Luke sighed. “And make sure you get the right guards.”

“They’ll be at their post, right?” Alec asked, sliding two daggers into his boots.

Luke nodded. 

“Great” Isabelle shrugged on a jacket and bent over to press a kiss on Jace’s forehead. “You behave.”

“I’ll be an angel” Jace told her with a sarcastic smile.

“Come on, Izzy!” Alec called out, stepping outside into the streets.

Isabelle ran forward to stand at her brother’s side, her hair tied up into a neat and professional high pony tail. Alec glanced sideways to look at her, a small smile on his face.

“Are you sure the guard’s helmet will fit over your hair?” he asked.

Isabelle gave him a confident smirk. “A girl can do anything, big brother. When you marry Lydia, you’ll quickly find out what we can do with our hair.”

Alec shuddered at the mention of marrying Lydia but did well to hide it by focusing his attention towards the castle. Isabelle followed his gaze and took a deep breath.

“You ready?” she asked quietly.

“As ready as I’ll ever be” Alec replied.

 

**

 

Clary entered the dining room with a plastered smile on her face. Her father — the King — sat at the head of the table with his crown planted firmly on his head. At his side, sat the Queen, trying her best to look comfortable and clueless towards the events about to take place. Prince Sebastian was pacing the room in front of Clary, his nervous fingers tapping endlessly against his chin. He was in deep thought and was clearly anxious about something. He’d seemed un-focused beforehand, but as soon as Clary made her grand entrance, his eyes lit up with desire.

“Clarissa, where have you been?” he asked with a dangerous smile.

“Thats none of your business” she told him as she glared up into his black eyes.

He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled with amusement. “Now now, thats no way to talk to your big brother.”

“Jonathan” Valentine interrupted with a cool tone. “Leave your sister alone.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes and turned away, inviting Clary to the table with a gracious wave of his hand. She gave him a sarcastic smile and waltzed into the room, taking her seat on her mother’s side of the table. She could feel her father watching her over his wine glass, but she did her best to remain calm under pressure. The meal for the night was chicken soup — one of the Queen’s favourites. Clary and Sebastian hated soup, but they wouldn’t dare say it in front of their parents. Sebastian took a seat across from Clary and gave her the ‘oh no it’s soup’ look. Clary hated her brother, but at least they had one thing in common. Hate for soup.

“I heard one of the prisoners were re-captured” Valentine started, twirling his spoon around thoughtfully as he searched for the chicken inside his soup. “I think his name is Magnus Bane.”

Clary stiffened and risked a quick glance in her mother’s direction. The Queen remained calm and delicate, her poker face unrevealing of the questionable fear that ran deep inside of her. If Magnus was captured — did that mean the poison was delivered or not? What if it wasn’t? The whole plan would crumble. 

“Who the hell is Magnus Bane?” Sebastian asked, his voice dragging Clary back into the conversation.

“Some peasant from Brooklyn Grove” Valentine said dismissively. “I don’t know who the bloody hell he is. I just know that he is one of the prisoners that escaped.”

“Who cares about him?” Sebastian said bitterly, glaring down at the untouched soup. “We want the others. The Prince and Princess. And the ward” he looked up slowly to stare at his mother. “What ever happened to that Wayland boy, mother?”.

Jocelyn bit her lip and carefully placed her spoon back into her bowl. She knew she’d one day be questioned on it, she just hadn’t expected it to be at the most important dinner of the year. She glanced sideways at Valentine to catch him staring at her with a quizzical look in his eyes.

“I took him to a physician” she said, which wasn’t a complete lie. Daniel did end up tending his wounds. 

“And then?” Sebastian pressed on.

“Well I left him there” she said. “I don’t have time to care for prisoners. I told the physician to call the guards as soon as the boy was better — but the other prisoners got to him first.”

“And who is this fool for a physician?” Valentine asked. chewing on one piece of chicken slowly.

Jocelyn shivered. “It’s not his fault.”

“I didn’t ask you whether it was his fault or not” Valentine growled. “What is the man’s name?”.

“Daniel” Clary said when her mother didn’t. “His name is Daniel.”

Valentine reluctantly peeled his gaze from his wife and glared at his daughter. “And how would you know that, Clarissa?”.

“Mother told me” she lied, trying her best to remain calm. “But none of it even matters now. We should just all eat and enjoy this meal.”

“She’s right” Jocelyn said quickly, starting on her meal. “We can discuss this another time.”

Valentine glanced between his wife and daughter suspiciously, but found nothing to suspect. Eventually, he continued with his meal, an uncomfortable silence filling the room.

 

**

 

“Well that was way too easy” Isabelle chuckled as she slid on the chain mail she’d stolen from one of the guards.

“It was a bit, wasn’t it?” Alec replied with a smirk.

They’d successfully attacked Valentine’s guards, knocking them unconscious before dragging their bodies into a locked cabinet. They didn’t need any of their weapons, for the guards — who Valentine trusted with his life — weren’t much fighters. They’d collapsed from one blow to the head from Alec and two from Isabelle. 

“You and I should attack guards more often” Isabelle said, smiling up at her big brother. “We’re great at it.”

Alec flung on the guard’s crest and gave his sister a sceptical look. “Don’t get used to this. When we get back home, you’re going back to being the charming princess Isabelle.”

“But thats boring” Isabelle complained. “As much as I love playing dress ups…I love adventure too.”

Alec shrugged. “Well you’re having your adventure now, aren’t you?”.

Once they were both dressed into their fake guards uniform, they started on their way towards the King’s chambers. As they were walking, they passed another pair of guards who were chatting away amongst themselves.

“Yeah, Harry and Kurt caught the asian one” one of them was saying. “Think he’s name is Bane or something.”

“Yeah, Magnus Bane” said the other. “He was one of those bastard criminals.”

Alec stopped walking for a moment, a rare feeling of fear rising up from his stomach. The guards were a long way down the hall now, barely noticing the presence of the undercover guards. Isabelle stopped too, clearly having heard the guard’s conversations too. Alec’s mind went to complete chaos as fear started to corrupt his thoughts. Is Magnus okay? Did he succeed in poisoning the King’s meal? Did they kill him on sight? Is he in the dungeons?

“We have to get Magnus” he said abruptly, starting on his way down the hall. 

Before he could get very far though, Isabelle yanked him by the arm and pulled him towards her.

“Are you crazy?” she hissed. “We have a job to do.”

“What about Magnus?” Alec asked, his voice cracking slightly at Magnus’ name.

“When the King is dead, we can rescue him” Isabelle said calmly. “And since when did you care about him so much?”.

Alec turned away from her, shaking his head. “I don’t. I’m just worried that he didn’t poison the King, thats all.”

“Don’t lie to me, Alec” Isabelle said with a small smile. “Whats going on with you and Magnus?”.

“Nothing” Alec said firmly, trying his best to remain calm. “We don’t have time for this anyway. Like you said, we have a job to do.”

Without any further conversation, they continued down the hall towards the King’s chambers, both doing their best to act like soulless guards. 


	29. Death of a Crown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 29, I can't believe I've written that many, wow! I enjoyed writing this chapter, especially the end part, so I really hope you enjoy reading it! There is a bit more malec after all :') Still more to come though so bare with me!

Valentine took one last sip of his wine before standing up, only wobbling slightly as he did so. He wasn’t drunk — or at least Clary hoped he wasn’t — he was simply falling ill to the poison that Magnus must have _successfully_ delivered. He had paled noticeably since the start of dinner, and his pupils had deflated uncharacteristically. Jocelyn noticed, Clary noticed, but Sebastian failed to see a problem.

“May I be excused?” he asked, looking to his wobbling father for permission. 

“Why?” Valentine asked, blinking rapidly to un-blur his vision.

Sebastian hesitated a moment. “To uh...I have business of my own to attend to.”

“You are no man” Valentine growled at him, causing a tension to rise in the room. “You are still just a fool for a boy. What business is yours…is _mine.”_

“Val-“ Jocelyn started, but Sebastian’s raised voice quickly interrupted her.

“I am not a BOY!” he snapped. “And you’re hardly a MAN! You are a coward for a King, father. I hope you rot in hell for eternity!”.

Without another word, Sebastian stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut to emphasise just how angry he is. Clary drew in a quick breath before exchanging a nervous glance with her mother. Valentine and Sebastian rarely fought, and of all days to fight, it just had to be during the King’s last moments. 

“I’m going to bed” Valentine told them, his voice sounding husky and unused. “I don’t feel all that well.”

“Okay, darling” Jocelyn said gently, standing up to bid her husband a farewell.

Valentine waved a dismissive hand at her before wobbling out of the room, cursing violently as his head began to throb. Clary remained seated until her father was long gone, biting her lip as nerves started to corrupt her thoughts. Jocelyn moved towards her slowly, placing a gentle hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

“Are you sure you can do this?” she asked softly.

“Everyone keeps asking me that” Clary sighed, raising her eyes so that they met her mother’s. 

“Thats because we are all worried that this will break you” Jocelyn whispered. “He may be a terrible man, Clary. But he’s still your father. Your blood.”

“He means nothing to me” Clary said firmly. “He was never there for me, never! I was just a pretty jewel to him, something he could show around to all the filthy men he surrounded himself with. You know its true, mother. He did the exact same thing with you.”

“I love you” Jocelyn said gently, bending down to press a light kiss on her daughter’s cheek. “And I’ll love you no matter what happens, okay?”.

Clary smiled at her mother’s touch and pulled her in for a warm hug. “I love you too, mother.”

When they both broke apart, leaving their love and affection floating in the air between them, Clary decided it was time to perform her part of the plan. She stood up quickly and felt for the dagger she’d hid in her boot. It was still there. 

“Alec and Isabelle will be guarding the King’s room, right?” Jocelyn asked nervously, watching her daughter with an unfamiliar look in her eye. 

“Thats the plan” Clary sighed. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it’s them before entering his room.”

“Good” Jocelyn smiled. 

“I better go” Clary said as she straightened herself up and turned to face the door. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck” Jocelyn sighed. “Now go.”

Clary waltzed out of the room with her head held high. It didn’t take long before she was climbing up the stairs towards her father’s chambers, looking over her shoulder constantly in case someone was watching. She kept her dagger in her boot, afraid that if she held it in her hand, someone would see it. The halls were mostly empty as she walked down them. Two young women carrying cloths were the only company she had as she approached her father’s chambers. In the distance, she could see two guards guarding the door. She couldn’t tell if it was Alec and Isabelle or not, but considering that one of them was significantly shorter than the other, she guessed that it was them. As she got closer, the guards turned to look at her. Despite the fact that she knew that they had to be Alec and Isabelle, fear and doubt swept over her and she had to bite her lip to contain it.

“Clary, it’s us” Isabelle whispered softly.

Clary let out a loud sigh of relief. “Thank God.”

“Are you alright?” Alec asked hesitantly. “You look awfully pale.”

“I’m fine” Clary sighed. “Is the King inside?”.

“Yes” Alec nodded.

“I think the poison worked” Isabelle said as she glanced at the closed wooden door. “He didn’t look to good as he approached. And I’m pretty sure I heard him vomit.”

“Okay” Clary said in a shaky tone. “Thank you. Both of you.”

“Good luck” Isabelle whispered. “And if you need anything, Alec and I are just here.”

Clary nodded and raised her hand towards the door knob. She turned it slowly, taking several deep breaths in order to calm her nerves. As the door opened slowly, she started her way inside, risking one last glance in Alec and Isabelle’s direction. They gave her a confident thumbs up before she closed the door behind her. The room smelt of vanilla and spice, as well a mixture of lavender. The King had a small lamp flickering on his bed side table, the soft sent of carbon adding to the odour of the room. The King himself lay on his back on his King-sized bed, his eyes half open as sweat poured down his face.

“Father?” she asked hesitantly, testing to see if he was awake or not.

Valentine grunted and tried to sit up, but what ever energy he once had was long gone. This was a good sign for Clary. If the King could not move — she could kill him with one careful blow. She stepped further into the room slowly, glancing down at the dagger that still hid in her boot. Her heart pounded inside her chest and her breaths became quicker and quicker. She was about to kill her own father — the man who contributed to her birth — in order to secure her safety as well as the safety of the whole kingdom. She walked slowly towards his side, forcing her fear to back down. The King was struggling to breathe, an unsaid pain clearly draining him of his energy. He didn’t look at his daughter as she approached him, but Clary could somehow tell that he knew she was there. 

“Father?” she asked again, her voice barely audible over the sound of his ragged breaths. 

Valentine remained still, his chest rising and falling only slightly as he begged for breath. Clary took another deep breath before sliding the dagger from her boot. She held it in her right hand tightly, the silver glint of it’s tip catching her father’s eye. His head did not move, but his eyes buried themselves deep in the blade’s sight. Clary bit her lip as tears threatened to fall. 

“This is for the Kingdom” she said as she raised the dagger, her heart hammering inside her chest. “This is for the people you’ve killed, for my mother and for me. You’re a monster, Valentine Morgenstern. And I’ll never, n-never remember you as my father. Rot in hell, asshole.”

She let the dagger fall and pierce his chest, pools of bloody pouring out without mercy. His eyes rolled back into his head as his ghost left his body, the devil hopefully guiding him into the fiery pits of hell. Tears streamed down her face as she stepped away from the body. Her legs instantly gave way and she dropped to the floor, curling up into a safe ball that protected her from what ever challenge she faced next. Before she knew it, Alec and Isabelle ran into the room. Alec frozen in place as he stared at the King’s blood covered body, and Isabelle quick to comfort Clary’s crying state. 

“Sh” Isabelle soothed as she pulled Clary into a hug. “It’s done. It’s over.”

Clary sobbed into the other girl’s shoulder, letting herself mourn for the father she never truly had. She couldn’t explain what made her cry the most. Whether it was because she’d killed her father, or whether it was because she never quite had one at all. But what ever it was, it had truly broken her.

“Should I get the Queen?” Alec asked hesitantly, his face almost as pale as the moon.

Isabelle nodded, stroking Clary’s hair as she cuddled her tighter. Alec wasted no more time to leave the room. First, he’d find Jocelyn and send her to comfort her daughter, and then he’d free Magnus from imprisonment. As he raced down the hall, he could still hear Clary’s cries drowning into the night, the first sign of grief that was to wash over the Kingdom. 

 

**

 

Magnus had been picking at his nails for the past two hours, ignoring the chatter that rose up all around him. He was in the cell opposite to Raphael Santiago; again. He did his best to ignore the other man, ignore and forget a past that would forever be connected with him. But as the dim moonlight shone into the room and a sudden sense of loss silenced the prisoners, Magnus couldn’t help but allow Raphael to use his voice.

“How’d you get caught?” the other man asked once he realised Magnus would listen.

“Not quite sure actually” Magnus admitted. 

“What were you doing?” Raphael asked.

“Poisoning the King” Magnus replied.

Raphael drew in a quick breath. “What do you mean ‘poisoning the king’?”.

“I mean, poisoning the King” Magnus said with a raised eyebrow. “You know, tainting his supper, the usual.”

“Why?” Raphael asked in alarm. 

Magnus shrugged and continued picking at his nails while Raphael simply stared at him with wide eyes. After a few awkward moments, Raphael finally found his voice again.

“Is the King dead?” he asked.

Magnus gave Raphael a tired look. “I don’t know, I’ve been in _here_ for the past two hours, remember?”

“Thats a serious crime, Magnus” Raphael warned him. “You’ll be dead by morning if the King dies.”

“Not necessarily” Magnus shrugged.

“What? Are you expecting a rescue party?” Raphael asked him with raised eyebrows.

Magnus let out a shaky laugh. “No, I don’t expect anyone to come rescue me.”

“What about Prince Charming?” Raphael questioned him with a mischievous smirk.

“Who?” Magnus asked.

“That Prince Alec guy” Raphael sighed. “The one that started to look extremely jealous when I mentioned Camille.”

Magnus glanced up from his fingernails and stared at Raphael quizzically. “What do you mean he looked jealous?”.

“He didn't look happy at all” Raphael smirked. “I saw it with my own eyes.”

“You’re messing around with me” Magnus said dismissively. “Alexander hates me.”

“What makes you say that?” Raphael asked.

Magnus pursed his lips and tried not to think about how he’d pressed his lips up against Alec’s, crossing every line that the Prince had continually drawn. Alec had made it more than clear that he didn’t want Magnus. Not in any way other than friendship. With the kiss — Magnus wasn’t quite sure how Alec felt.

“It doesn’t matter” Magnus said finally. “The point is, nobody is coming for me.”

“Not with an attitude like that” said a dark voice from the cell beside Raphael’s.

“And who are you?” Magnus asked with a frown.

“Doesn’t matter who I am” the man said. “But what matters is the King’s death.”

“What are you talking about?” Raphael asked. “We don’t even know if the King is dead or not.”

“Didn’t you feel it?” the man asked, crawling forward so his white beard shimmered in the dim light. “His death caused a darkness to plague the land. It’s here now, in our hearts. The death of a crown, the rise of a long lasting disease.”

“But Valentine is the darkness” Magnus said in confusion. “Shouldn’t the darkness be…you know…gone?”.

The man laughed darkly and shook his head. “What do you think will happen now that the King is dead? Do you think the world is going to be all sunshine and rainbows? Listen up kid, the Prince Sebastian, he’ll become King and the world will be burned to ash.”

“Jocelyn Fairchild will become Queen” Magnus said firmly. “Sebastian won’t be King for a long while yet.”

“Jocelyn stands no chance against her son” the man snarled. “Sebastian will be King and all three Kingdoms will be at war. All because of the death of one bad man.”

Magnus shifted uncomfortably in his seated position and stared blankly at the wall in front of him. If what mystery man said was true, than maybe killing Valentine wasn’t the smartest idea after all. Sebastian was dangerous — Jace was the living proof of that. If Sebastian became King, hell bent on seeking revenge for his father’s death, what chance did New Yorkshire and Idris have against that? As his thoughts corrupted his mind, a loud thump from outside the dungeon’s door sung out across the room. It sounded just like a guard falling, but Magnus couldn’t be to sure. 

“Thought you said you weren’t expecting a rescue mission” Raphael said with a curious glance towards the front door.

Magnus stood up and followed his gaze. “I wasn’t.”

The door swung open and a familiar set of blue eyes and messy hair examined the room. Magnus felt his heart thump inside his chest and his legs threatened to give way. There he was, Prince Alexander Lightwood, standing on the other side of the room with a determined look on his face. He really was beautiful, and Magnus struggled to catch his breath. His eyes met Alec’s instantly and the other boy was racing towards his cell without second thought.

“Magnus” Alec said in relief. “Are you alright?”.

“I’m fine” Magnus replied with a smile. “Is the King dead?”.

Alec nodded as he fumbled with the keys to the cell. “Dead and covered in blood. The Queen is dealing with it all now, and Isabelle is comforting Clary.”

The cell door swung open and Magnus stepped outside. Unable to control himself, he threw his arms around Alec and pulled him in for a tight hug. Alec, hesitant to show any sort of affection in front of a dozen prisoners, slowly wrapped his arms around the other man and sighed with relief. The hug lasted only a few seconds before a loud shout from upstairs broke them apart.

“We have to go” Alec said quickly. 

“Hey!” Raphael shouted before they could leave. “You wouldn’t mind releasing me, would you?”.

Alec hesitated a moment. “Depends…what are you in here for?”.

“I stole” Raphael admitted. “But I’m a good man, honest. Even ask Magnus!”.

Alec looked to Magnus for confirmation and the other man nodded. Sighing, Alec shoved the key into Raphael’s cell and set him free. 

“Thank you, god bless you” Raphael said quickly before hurrying out of the room, his footsteps quick to disappear into the dark night.

“Lets go” Alec said once he slid the keys back into his pocket.

“Yes” Magnus said with a quick smile in Alec’s direction. “Lets go.”


	30. Victory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 30, hope you enjoy :')

When Alec and Magnus returned to Luke’s house, it was a lot more crowded than it was when they left. Three castle guards, obviously loyal to the Queen above all else, surrounded a body wrapped in blankets right by the front door. Both Magnus and Alec stepped over it awkwardly before greeting the others. Jace remained seated on the lounge, however this time, Clary was at his side. She’d fallen asleep and had her head on his shoulder. At first, Alec found it a little strange, but then, as he looked at them a little more openly, he found it quite heart warming. Isabelle was sitting at the dining table with Simon — who’d only turned up minutes before — and looked just as tired as Alec felt. She had dark rings under her eyes that if she knew were there, would cause a hysterical break down of self-esteem. But Isabelle was beautiful no matter how tired she looked. Luke and Jocelyn were standing in the kitchen, Luke’s arms wrapped tightly around Jocelyn’s. When Magnus met Luke’s gaze, he instantly felt sick to the stomach. He knew that he should probably warn Alec that Luke knew about the kiss. But Alec looked relieved and happy, Magnus didn’t want to ruin that. At least not while they celebrated their victory.

“How’d you get caught?” Isabelle asked curiously as Magnus took a seat beside her.

“I’m not sure, actually” Magnus admitted. “There must have been guards in the kitchens. The funny thing is, they never actually saw me poison his meal.”

“We were all so worried that you never succeeded with the nightshade” Isabelle told him. “But we all should have known that you wouldn’t have let us down.”

Magnus smiled. “I owe it all to the Queen, actually.”

Jocelyn looked over at Magnus at the mention of her title and raised a questioning eyebrow. “What exactly do you owe me for, Magnus?”.

“If you didn’t have a word with the chef, I would still be searching for the King’s meal” Magnus explained. 

“Oh” Jocelyn laughed. “Yes, well, I knew you might need some help.”

“My lady” one of the guards said hesitantly as they entered the kitchen. “The body is clean and ready.”

Jocelyn removed herself from Luke’s grip and took a deep breath. “Thank you, Jackson. Are you, Eric and Kurt able to take the body back to it’s room on your own?”.

“Yes, my lady” Jackson nodded. “Shall we write a suicide note as well? To make it authentic.”

“You’re making it a suicide?” Alec asked, surprised.

“It’s the smartest option” Jocelyn sighed. 

“Won’t people be suspicious?” he asked.

“Of course they will” Jocelyn answered in a critical tone. “But some, though few, will believe it.”

“So thats a yes, my lady?” Jackson asked.

Jocelyn gave him her most charming smile. “Yes please, Jackson. Thank you for everything.”

Jackson bowed before returning back to the body. Magnus watched with raised eyebrows as the three guards lifted the body and hauled it out of the house, groaning as the weight won over them. Surely, three grown could carry one dead body without problem. Clearly, not these three men. 

“I think we should all retire for the night” Jocelyn suggested as her own exhaustion began to consume her.

“I couldn’t agree more” Isabelle said, sighing in relief as she yanked her chain mail off of her chest.

“There are three bedrooms” Luke said, his voice loud so everyone in the room could hear. “Jocelyn and I will be in my bedroom. The rest is for you all to figure out.”

“Yes, sir” Simon said with a smile.

Luke raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he took hold of Jocelyn’s hand and lead her to his bedroom. No one said a word as their imaginations ran wild with thoughts of what exactly Luke and Jocelyn planned to do with their night spent together. 

“Well, I’ll stay here on the couch” Jace said when no one else volunteered to make arrangements.

“Are you sure?” Isabelle asked. 

  
“Yeah” Jace said with a reassuring smile. “I’ve actually grown to like it.”

“We should wake Clary” Simon said as he watched his best friend’s chest rise and fall. “She’ll probably want to share a room with a female. Isabelle for that matter.”

“Well, yes, Simon” Isabelle said with a raised eyebrow. “I am a female. Go on, wake her up Jace.”

Jace sighed reluctantly before shaking Clary’s shoulder. It only took a few moments before Clary’s eyes shot open and she was once again, alive and alert. She sat up instantly and removed herself from Jace’s warm body.

“Clary?” Simon asked as he moved towards her. “Are you okay?”.

“Yes” she groaned. “Whats going on?”.

“We’re organising our sleep arrangements” Magnus said cheerfully.

“And you’re with me” Isabelle said with a gentle smile.

She took hold of Clary’s hand slowly and gave the boy’s a cheeky smirk. None of them knew what it meant, but no one dared to ask. Without a word, Isabelle lead Clary to the last bedroom in the house, bidding them a good night by blowing a kiss. With one room and three males left, it was suddenly more difficult to decide the next sleeping arrangements. 

“I can sleep out here” Simon offered as he gestured to the second couch. “You two can have the bed. I did nothing today, you two deserve a comfortable rest.”

Alec opened his mouth to protest, but Magnus’ voice sung out first.

“Thats very thoughtful of you, Seamus!” he said gratefully.

“It’s…uh Simon, my name is Simon” Simon corrected him with a slight frown.

“Seamus, Simon, same thing!” Magnus chuckled.

“Come on Seamus” Jace said mockingly. “You can borrow one of my pillows.”

“I hate you guys” Simon mumbled as he took a seat on the lounge across from Jace. 

“Well, goodnight all” Magnus said with a smile. “And to all a goodnight.”

With as much as a groan as a farewell from Simon and Jace, Magnus and Alec ventured down the hall to find their bedroom. Alec wasn’t sure how he felt about sharing a room with Magnus, but he wasn’t as bothered about it as he thought he would be. Ever since the kiss, he’d loosened up a little. Despite how free it made him feel, he wasn’t quite sure whether it was a good thing or not. 

“I’m exhausted” Magnus said as he opened the bedroom door. “What about you?”.

“Yeah” Alec yawned. “It’s been a long couple of days.”

Magnus dove onto the bed and smashed his head back against the pillow. He kicked off his shoes and let himself bathe in the comfort of the sheets. Alec watched him with some amusement, his lip curled into a small smile as Magnus made un-lawful sounds with his mouth. He kicked off his own shoes slowly and slid off his jacket. Yanking a pillow off the bed he positioned himself at the foot of the bed, lying down on the cold hard floor. 

“Alexander…what are you doing?” Magnus asked curiously.

“I’m going to bed” Alec replied honestly.

“Yes, but why in God’s name are you on the floor?” Magnus asked.

Alec hesitated a moment before replying. “We can’t share a bed. I move around a lot and I-“.

“You’re going to get splinters” Magnus pointed out as he studied the wooden floorboards.

“I’ll take my chances” Alec mumbled.

“Are you sure?” Magnus asked. “You can have the bed if you like.”

“No, I’m quite alright” Alec sighed. “Good night, Magnus.”

“What if you get cold?” Magnus asked.

Alec couldn’t help but smile slightly. “Good night, Magnus.”

“Alright then” Magnus said as he settled into the sheets. “Good night, Alexander.”

 

**

 

_“This” Magnus said in a deep and longing tone, leaning forward so that his lips pressed lightly against his own, causing Alec to gasp for breath as his lungs gave way. Magnus’ hands travelled down Alec’s chest, moving so slowly that Alec thought they’d never reach their destination. He arched his back in pleasure as Magnus’ tongue drowned itself into his neck, one hand on his-_

Alec woke up instantly, kicking himself for letting his mind travel into such sinful waters. Dreams were said to give a person what they most desired, but Alec refused to let himself desire what the world despised. As he stared into the darkness that still consumed the room, he ran his fingers through his hair in order to release the tension rising in his body. He wasn’t sure how long he had been sleeping, but it mustn’t have been for to long because the moon still ruled over the night. Shivering he curled himself up into a ball. While he was sleeping, he hadn’t felt the cold. But now, the cool air had sunk itself deep into his bones, causing the hair on his arms to stand on end. He wasn’t aware that he had made a sound, but he must have because Magnus was slowly awaking. 

  
“I didn’t mean to wake you” Alec said quickly. “I’m sorry.”

“What’s the matter?” Magnus asked tiredly as he rubbed his eyes. “You sounded like you were in pain.”

“No, just cold” Alec said.

Magnus let out a tired laugh. “I knew that would happen. Come on, it’s warm in the bed.”

“Tempting” Alec said as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He could vaguely see Magnus in the dark, his slim figure revealing a bare chest. “But I shouldn’t.”

“Alexander, you’re cold” Magnus sighed. “Get in bed and stay warm before you get sick.”

Alec hesitated a moment before reluctantly doing as he was told. Still shivering, he climbed into bed beside Magnus and buried himself deep into the sheets. Magnus was right, it was warm in the bed. 

“Better?” Magnus asked quietly.

Alec nodded. “Much better.”

“Well you’re welcome” Magnus said as he lay back down. “I normally don’t invite many people to bed.”

Alec snorted. “Not even as they freeze to death on the floor?”.

“Not even then” Magnus laughed. 

“I’m lucky then, I suppose?” Alec asked jokingly.

Magnus glanced sideways at the Prince, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I guess you could say that.”

They lay in silence for a long moment, however, neither of them were trying to sleep. Alec was staring up at the ceiling while Magnus stared at Alec. The magician couldn’t help but stare at the other man’s lips. He’d kissed them once before, and he couldn’t express just how much he wanted to kiss them again. 

“Can I ask you something?” Alec whispered as he turned his head slightly to look at Magnus.

Magnus drew his eyes away from Alec’s lips and smiled. “Of course you can.”

“Did you know you were going to get caught?” Alec asked. “You know, before you left to poison the King.”

“Well…I didn’t know for sure” Magnus admitted. “But you know, I did have my doubts.”

“Is that why you-“ he hesitated a moment, swallowing hard before he continued again. “You know…”.

“I’m afraid I don’t know” Magnus said softly, rolling onto his side so that he faced Alec completely. “You might have to make it more clear.”

Alec shut his eyes briefly for a moment, trying to compose himself before asking the question he had been dying to ask. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much — was it because he was falling for Magnus? He’d worked so hard to fight off _that_ side of him. But Magnus, Magnus tore down every wall and made it all look so easy. 

“Is that why you kissed me?” Alec asked finally. “Because you feared that you would get caught?”. 

Magnus’ lip curled into a small smile as he bowed his head. He’d known the question would come, but he hadn’t exactly thought of an answer yet. Alec was staring at him unblinkingly, waiting desperately for an answer. 

“Well” Magnus started. “I did fear I would get caught and I suppose I did want to kiss you because of that. But I kissed you, Alexander, because I have wanted to for quite some time.”

Alec was extremely glad it was dark because if it wasn’t, he was sure that Magnus would be able to see just how red his face was. He wasn’t sure what to expect from Magnus’ answer, all he knew was that his feelings for Magnus were real and there was no way he was able to fight them any longer. They lay in silence for a few moments, both staring at each other through the darkness. Alec wanted to say something, anything, but he only found himself moving closer to Magnus instead. He didn’t know what came over him then, but he suddenly had the urge to be with Magnus in ways that mankind could not and would not comprehend. 

“I’m glad you kissed me, Magnus” Alec whispered, raising his hand slowly to cup Magnus’ cheek. “Deep down, I wanted it too.”

He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Magnus’. At first, it was gentle, the kind of kiss that could easily be broken apart. But as Magnus wrapped one arm around Alec’s body and pulled him on top of him, Alec deepened the kiss increasingly. Their mouths collided like two speeding asteroids, sparks flying in the air all around them. Alec searched Magnus’ mouth with his own, his eager hands running through Magnus’ hair with desperation. Magnus rolled over violently as he took control, leading the way with his feisty kisses and rough hand movements. Alec moaned at Magnus’ touch, arching his back upwards like he did in his dream. Magnus detached his lips from Alec’s and dragged them down towards Alec’s neck. They rolled around in bed like that for the next few hours, kissing the furthest they went with their nightly pleasures. As the sun came up, they found themselves curled up next to each other, Magnus’ head resting peacefully on Alec’s chest. 


	31. Honest Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 31!! Hope you enjoy :')

Alec awoke the next morning to feel Magnus’ warm breath brush against his bare chest. With their shirts littering the floor and their arms and legs intwined, the start to Alec’s day was a good one. Nothing too preposterous happened last night — just some passionate kissing that resulted in heavy breathing and warm snuggles. As the morning light shone brightly through the window, Alec could hear the faint sound of childish bickering coming from the living room. He could hear Jace’s mocking tone, laughing at Simon for something he must have done during his sleep. Alec knew from experience that Jace can be lethal when it came to mocking. Simon was going to be a victim for a long while yet. Slowly, Alec detached himself from Magnus, moving gently so that he would not disturb Magnus’ slumber. He slid off of the bed easily and slid on his shirt, groaning as he felt an excruciating ache on the side of his neck. Glancing at the mirror that hung on the wall, Alec cursed once he noticed the bruise that had formed on his neck. _Great,_ he thought sourly, _how am I going to explain this?_ Magnus groaned in his sleep, rolling over in search for the warmth that Alec’s body had provided. But when the warmth could not be found, the sleeping magician opened his eyes and sighed. Alec watched with raised eyebrows as Magnus made inhuman sounds while he stretched. 

“Ah, good morning” Magnus smiled once he caught Alec watching him.

“Good morning” Alec replied with a smile. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“Not at all” Magnus said as he curled up further into the blankets, wrapping himself up so that no warm air could escape his presence. 

Alec looked away for a brief moment while he searched the floor for his shoes. He wasn’t about to enter the living room with bare feet — that would just be an invitation to disease. 

“They’re over here” Magnus said, pointing towards the end of his side of the bed.

“Thanks” Alec mumbled as he walked over and scooped them up off of the ground.

“So about last night…” Magnus started.

“No one is to know about it, okay?” Alec interrupted. 

Magnus nodded. “Of course, of course. No doubt, no doubt. However-“.

“What?” Alec asked, suddenly looking alarmed.

Magnus still hadn’t told Alec about the slight issue of Luke knowing about their first kiss. He’d been holding it off for a little while because he was afraid how Alec would react. And after their passionate time last night, Magnus wasn’t sure whether he really _wanted_ to tell Alec. But he had to. Because if Luke brought it up and Alec didn’t know, that would just result in all kinds of problems.

“What is it, Magnus?” Alec asked again.

“The other day” Magnus started, swallowing hard before he was able to continue. “When I kissed you before I left to poison the King, something happened, something I’ve been hesitant to tell you about.”

Alec bit his lip anxiously. “W-what happened?”.

“Someone saw us” Magnus said regretfully. “Someone saw me kiss you.”

Alec felt as though his whole world had been turned upside down. The words that just rolled off of Magnus’ tongue didn’t seem believable. It had been one of Alec’s worst fears, to be seen for who he really was. He’d fought so hard to prevent this from happening — but look where that got him. 

“Who?” Alec asked, struggling to catch his breath. “W-who s-saw us? Was it Izzy? J-Jace?”.

“It was Luke” Magnus sighed. “Luke saw us.”

Alec covered his mouth with his hand and turned away, his back to Magnus. He couldn’t believe it. How could this happen? Where was Luke when it happened? How did Alec not know he was there? How did he let his guard down? 

“Alexander-“ Magnus started, but Alec held up a hand to stop him. 

“How long have you known?” he asked.

Magnus swallowed hard. “He told me while we were on the way to the castle.”

“So you had plenty of chances to tell me” Alec spat, turning around slowly to glare at Magnus. “But you chose now? The morning after I let myself-“.

“I’m sorry” Magnus whispered, taking a risky step forward towards Alec. “I just didn’t want to scare you away.”

“You should have told me sooner!” Alec snapped.

“I know” Magnus said regretfully. “I’m sorry.”

“Is he going to tell anyone?” Alec asked quietly.

“I’m not sure” Magnus admitted. “But I did talk to him. I told him that it was I who kissed you and that you had no part in it. I told him it was all me.”

Magnus’ intention was to relieve Alec from his worries. But by the look on the other man’s face, Magnus had done the complete opposite. 

“You can’t just take the blame!” he said, his eyes wide. “I’ll talk to him. Pay him or-“.

“Pay him?” Magnus asked. “Now why on earth would you pay him?”.

“To keep his mouth shut!” Alec explained frantically. “Women do it all the time when they’ve been unfaithful to their husbands.”

“You’re not a woman” Magnus pointed out. “And you haven’t been unfaithful at all.”

“He could use this against my crown, Magnus” Alec said in a defeated tone. “I’ve got to do something.”

Magnus stepped forward and took Alec’s hands into his own. He could tell that Alec was scared, the blue in his eyes had increasingly darkened since the revelation. Magnus did not blame Alec for being scared, for he was quite afraid too. But instead of fighting with one another, they needed to work together in order to figure this out. 

“We’ll both talk to him, alright?” Magnus said gently. “We’re in this together. The sword and the magician, remember?”.

Alec’s lip curled into a small smile and he nodded. “Yeah, alright. We’ll talk to him before we leave.”

“Thats my boy” Magnus grinned. “Now, lets go out and bid a good morning to the others.”

 

**

 

“And he snores too” Jace was saying as Magnus and Alec entered the room.

“I do not!” Simon snapped. “You do! Oh I heard ya, you sounded like a dying pig.”

“Ouch” Jace put his hand on his heart. “Simon, quit playing games with my heart.”

“Shut up” Simon muttered bitterly.

“Good morning!” Magnus beamed, entering the room with a cheerful smile on his face.

“Why are you in such a good mood?” Jace asked him with raised eyebrows.

“I’m always in a good mood, Jack” Magnus smiled. 

“Yeah Jack” Simon laughed. “He’s always in a good mood.”

“Shut up Seamus!” Jace snapped. 

Alec greeted his sister in the dining room, careful to avoid eye contact with Luke who was cooking breakfast. Jocelyn and Clary were sitting side by side at the head of the table, both whispering amongst themselves in a quiet tone. 

“Sleep well?” Isabelle asked as her brother took a seat beside her.

“Yeah” Alec said, though he didn’t get _that_ much sleep. “Did you?”.

“Clary and I spent most of the night talking” Isabelle replied. “We both learnt a lot about each other.”

“Oh yeah?” Alec asked, raising an eyebrow. “Like what?”.

“Nothing that would interest you” Isabelle smirked.

Her eyes trailed down towards Alec’s neck where Magnus gave him a pretty visible bruise. Raising an eyebrow she cleared her throat and pointed to it.

“How’d you get that?” she asked.

Alec blushed furiously and instinctively covered the bruise with his hand. “I-I uh fell.”

“On your neck?” she laughed.

Alec swallowed hard before nodding. “Yes, on my neck. Next question?”.

“Breakfast is ready!” Luke called out, hustling into the room with one plate of bacon and eggs in each of his hands. 

He delivered a plate of breakfast to each and every one of them, careful not to show any distinct awkwardness towards Magnus and Alec. Everyone except Jace and Simon sat around the dining room table, starting the day with a delicious breakfast that each and every single one of them had been longing for. They all ate in a peaceful silence, sharing very few glances as they appreciated their meal.

“So…” Isabelle started, trying to start up a friendly conversation. “When will we be heading home?”.

“After breakfast” Jace said before Alec could. “I can’t wait to get fussed over by mother and father.”

Alec rolled his eyes. “You’re fine, Jace.”

“Were you the one being tortured for hours?” Jace asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Not physically” Alec mumbled under his breath. 

“Whats going to happen with the kingdom?” Magnus asked curiously before biting into his toast.

“The King will be pronounced dead and my mother will become Queen” Clary replied bitterly. “Hopefully there will be no problems with that.”

“Most people prefer your mother anyway” Luke said to assure the Queen and Princess. “It will all go well.”

“But there’s always the Sebastian problem” Jocelyn sighed. “He will want to overtake me. He’ll want to be King. And I’m almost certain that I won’t be able to stop him.”

 

**

 

After breakfast, while everyone packed, Alec took the opportunity to have a quick word with Luke. Despite the fact that he doubted they would ever meet again, he felt as though he should convince Luke to keep his mouth shut about what he saw. For Alec’s whole future depended on it. Luke was washing the dishes when Alec approached him, unaware of the nervous presence behind him. Alec cleared his throat politely in order to get Luke’s attention, but instead, Luke grunted and continued washing his plate.

“Do you need something?” he asked.

Alec swallowed hard. “Uh, yeah, I uh-I just wanted to talk with you for a moment.”

“Not interested” Luke replied bitterly.

“Well thats too bad” said Magnus who magically appeared by Alec’s side. “Because we _are_ interested.”

Luke turned around slowly, his eyes narrowed in Magnus’ direction in particular. He slowly placed his plate into the dish wrack before glancing in between the two men standing before him.

“Well go ahead” he said. “Talk.”

“What you saw-“ Alec started.

“Was disgusting and wrong” Luke finished for him. “But if you are worried that I will tell someone, don’t be.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going to tell anyone?”.

“I don’t take pride in other people’s suffering” Luke sighed, leaning back against the bench. “Nor do I plague myself with other people’s business. What I saw — thats between you two. Not me.”

Alec let out a long breath that he hadn’t realised he’d been holding. “Do you really mean that?”.

“Yes” Luke nodded. “But I do suggest you be more discreet. Not everyone cares to mind their own business like me.”

“Of course” Magnus said, unable to hide his relief. “Thank you, Luke. You are a good man.”

Luke shrugged. “Don’t thank me. I knew a man like you, once. He was good friends with your King, your father Alec, and as soon as he was found out. He was put to death. I know this because he was my friend too.”

“W-who?” Alec asked anxiously. He didn’t remember anyone who was put to death because of his sexuality, who at the same time, was his father’s friend.

Luke hesitated a moment, clearly contemplating whether he should tell them or not. “His name was Michael Wayland. Jace’s father, actually. I suggest you don’t tell him that, he might revolt against your father.”

“Michael Wayland?” Alec asked, surprised. “No, Michael Wayland died in battle.”

Luke shook his head. “He was executed in private. He fought no battle, at least not one with swords.”

Alec swallowed hard and glanced over his shoulder to look at Jace. His step brother, his best friend, who had no idea what really happened to his father. And if the King was capable of executing his best friend, then maybe, he was also capable of executing his son. 

“Just be careful” Luke said one last time before moving away. “I wouldn’t want you both to fall to the same fate. You’re both good men. Cursed. But good.”


	32. Home Sweet Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 32, hope you enjoy :') Thank you all for the lovely comments and kudos. I love how engaged you all are.

“I wish I could come with you” Clary sighed as she helped Jace climb up onto his horse. 

“Why?” Jace asked with a smirk. “Do you think you will miss me too much?”.

“No” Clary laughed. “You I don’t care about at all. But I’ve actually grown to quite like Isabelle.”

“Everyone loves Isabelle” Jace said dramatically. “But everybody usually loves me more.”

“Except me!” Simon called out as he moved to stand beside Clary.

“I’m going to miss you both so much” Jace chuckled. “More so Clary, she’s got a pretty face.”

“Careful” Simon warned. “She’s a princess, remember?”.

“Princess” Jace said with a warm smile. “How could I ever forget that?”.

“Stop flirting” Alec said disgustedly as he hopped onto his own horse. “You’ll never see her again.”

“What makes you so sure of that?” Jace asked him with raised eyebrows.

“Because if we ever do, it will only mean trouble” Alec said. “No offence, Clary.”

“I see Alec will be missing me” Clary said sarcastically.

“Alec hasn’t got a heart” Isabelle chuckled as she came up behind Clary and gave her a hug. “I’ll miss you twice as much, don’t you worry about that.”

“What about me?” Simon asked, feeling a little left out.

Isabelle giggled and gave him a hug too. “Of course I’ll miss you, Simon! How could I not?”.

“Can we please hurry this up?” Alec asked, rolling his eyes.

“Oh shut up Alec!” Isabelle hissed. “There’s nothing waiting for us at home anyway!”.

“Actually-“ Alec started, but Isabelle’s death stare convinced him to shut his mouth. 

Eventually, Isabelle let go of Simon and Clary and climbed onto her own horse, leaving Magnus to say his last goodbyes. He thanked Jocelyn and Luke for sheltering them, wishing them luck for the future. Then he approached Simon and Clary.

“It was lovely meeting you, Princess Clarissa” Magnus said with a bow. “And you too Seamus.”

“It’s Simon” Simon growled.

“Oh yes” Magnus chuckled. “My apologies.”

“Good luck” Clary said with a smile. “All of you. And thank you for all your help.”

Magnus climbed onto his horse and smiled at the four members of their group that would not be returning home with them. It was sad to think that one day, you could wake up with several friends, but the next you could only wake up with one. Life changes so suddenly and you never really know what’s install for you. He never thought that he’d end up where he was now, riding home towards New Yorkshire with a charming Prince who’d stolen his heart, a princess who was nothing but beautiful inside and out, and an annoying ward who ironically, had a homosexual father. He wondered what Alec thought of it all considering he’d once had his heart out for Jace. Did he even reflect on it at all? Was he bothered by the fact that it was Michael who was like that and not Jace? Or did he not even care? Or was he simply just concerned about the fact that his father was willing to kill his closest friend because of it? Magnus did not know. Because even when he looked towards Alec, he could not tell what the boy was thinking. Despite the fact that he’d worked his way into Alec’s heart — or head — Magnus did not know, there was still so much that Alec kept concealed from everyone. 

“So” Isabelle started, pulling Magnus out from his thoughtful daze. “Are you going back home to Brooklyn Grove, or are you going to stay in New Yorkshire for a while?”.

Magnus gave her a sideways smile. “I think I might stay in New Yorkshire for a while, if I’m welcome.”

“Of course you’re welcome!” Isabelle exclaimed. “After what you did…I think you’ll always be welcome. Besides, Alec needs as much friends as he can get.”

Magnus’ smile faded slightly and he snuck a glance in Alec’s direction. He watched emotionlessly as Jace nudged Alec in the side playfully, Alec returning the nudge with an adorable laugh. Isabelle followed his gaze and sighed, raising an eyebrow.

“Whats going on between you two?” she asked. “Alec won’t tell me. But I’m not stupid. I know there’s _something_ going on.”

Magnus peeled his eyes away slowly and shook his head. “Nothing is going on, my dear. Alec and I have just become good _friends._ Though, sometimes, I’m confused about where I stand.”

“Ah, I see” Isabelle said in an understanding tone. “My brother is great at many things, but handling his emotions…well…he struggles a little bit. Ever since he was a child, everyone around him has taught him to conceal his emotions, to not let them distract him from his role as the future King. It’s going to take a lot to ensure that the walls he’s built around himself are broken. I want only happiness for him, but how can he be happy if he won’t let himself? Do you know what I mean?”.

Magnus nodded slowly. “Yes, my dear, I do.”

They rode in silence for the next couple of hours as they ventured through the forest. As they neared the kingdom of New Yorkshire, murmurs of King Valentine’s death passed by their ears. Apparently news traveled fast in these parts. Travellers spread the news amongst each other, and as the four companions rode past, they over heard the many conversations and conspiracy theories surrounding the Kings death. Some, though many few, suspected that it was the Prince Sebastian’s behind the supposed “suicide”. 

“I suppose mother and father know” Jace said as they passed two more gossiping travellers. “About Valentine’s death I mean.”

“Of course they know” Alec said as he shifted in his saddle. “They know everything.”

“Do they know of the arising threat?” Magnus asked, suddenly remembering the mysterious prisoner who predicted a darkness to plague the land.

“What arising threat?” Isabelle asked curiously.

“One of the prisoners I was stuck with told me about a darkness that would plague the land at Sebastian’s rule” Magnus explained. “He was awfully creepy — yet he seemed to know what he was talking about.”

“But Sebastian won’t rule” Jace said, though he didn’t sound at all confident. “Jocelyn will remain Queen.”

“You of all people should know how dangerous Sebastian is” Magnus said tiredly. “He’s more than just a twisted prince. He’s a threat. A dangerous one at that.”

“And I suppose he’ll want revenge?” Isabelle asked.

Magnus nodded. “It always works that way, doesn’t it? Kill the father and the son wants revenge.”

“I told you we should have just killed Sebastian” Jace mumbled.

“Look, can we not worry about that now?” Alec asked. “As far as we know, Jocelyn is Queen. And she’s far stronger than we are all making her out to be. Valentine’s dead, thats a victory. Lets focus on that right now.”

“We can’t push this problem aside forever, Alec” Magnus warned him.

Alec shifted in his saddle again. “I know that. But we shouldn’t plague ourselves with the problem now.”

“He’s right” Isabelle sighed. “After all, it was just some crazy prisoner who predicted the darkness anyway.”

Magnus sighed and glanced down at his trembling hands. He hadn’t realised how much he feared the ‘darkness’ until now. He had no doubt that there was something far worse to come. Valentine may have been a threat, but at least he had a strategical mind-set. The Prince Sebastian acted without thinking of the consequences. And sometimes, that makes the enemy ten times more dangerous. 

“Magnus” Alec said quietly, slowing down his horse’s pace so that Magnus could catch up. “Are you alright?”.

“Yes” Magnus lied, forcing a smile. “I’m just excited to return to a normal life.”

Alec swallowed hard. “So does that mean you’re going back to Brooklyn Grove?”.

“I don’t know” Magnus said with a light chuckle. “Would you be upset if I did?”.

Alec rolled his eyes. “I think New Yorkshire would be free from a trickster for a magician if you did.”

“I’m not a trickster” Magnus pouted, nudging Alec playfully. “I am a _real_ magician.”

“Alright then, _real_ _magician_ ” Alec said with a smirk. “Throw me off this horse.”

“But that would hurt you” Magnus replied.

Alec chuckled. “No it won’t. Prove to me that you’re a magician, come on.”

Magnus narrowed his eyes and curled his hands into fists. Of course, Magnus couldn’t _really_ do magic. Magic didn’t exist, at least, not that he knew of. He studied the saddle that Alec sat on, examining it from every visible angle. The left side of the saddle was slightly loose, indicating a good opportunity for Magnus to cut Alec free from his comfort. He pursed his lips to hide his smile and looked Alec right in the eye. 

“You will forgive me, won’t you?” he asked.

“Depends” Alec laughed. 

“On what?” Magnus raised an eyebrow.

“Whether you’re going to trick me or not” Alec said.

Magnus laughed and swiftly sliced his foot underneath the left side of Alec’s saddle, causing a disruption within Alec’s saddled positioning. Alec, despite what Magnus thought, had seen this coming, and before he could fall, grabbed Magnus by the arm and pulled him down with him. They both plummeted towards the ground together, shouting out as they collided. Magnus fell on top of Alec, unintentionally stabbing him in the side. Their faces were only centimetres apart and Alec, despite knowing his siblings were not to far away, pecked them lightly.

“You lied to me” he whispered.

Magnus, breathing hard, smiled. “I am a _trickster_ after all.”

“Oi!” Jace called out. “What the hell happened?”.

“Magnus can’t do magic!” Alec shouted as he climbed out underneath Magnus.

“Thats not true!” Magnus argued. “Alec is just clumsy and decided to knock me off of my horse.”

Isabelle raised an eyebrow and shook her head. “Get on your horses, both of you. We’re not too far away from the Kingdom and I suggest you be on your best behaviour, especially you, Alec.”

Alec straightened up quickly and hopped back onto his horse. He exchanged cheeky smiles with Magnus as he did so, so visible, that Jace easily captured the look in his step brother’s eyes. He said nothing though, just turned away and continued riding towards New Yorkshire.

 

**

 

Loud cheers roared throughout the lower towns as the four ‘heroes’ entered the kingdom. Riding through the gates, they were greeted by proud guards and excited villagers. Clearly, they’d heard about the quest and the death of King Valentine. Jace and Isabelle enjoyed all the attention they were receiving whereas Alec felt more than just uncomfortable. Magnus ignored most of the cheering, knowing that it was all for the Prince and Princess, maybe even for Jace. But he was just a peasant. He was no hero. 

“Why don’t we always get greeted like this?!” Jace shouted over all the cheering. “I love it!”.

“I’m glad we don’t always get greeted like this” Alec mumbled as he shifted in his saddle. “Everyone is way too loud and happy.”

“Well it wouldn’t be much of a homecoming if everyone was frowning now would it?” Isabelle said with a small smile in her brother’s direction. “Just enjoy it. They’re all so proud of us!”.

“I just want to settle back into our home” Alec sighed tiredly.

“Don’t expect too much settling” Isabelle said as she caught sight of the castle members waiting to greet them in the court yard. “Looks like the Princess Lydia and her family are still here.”

Alec followed her gaze and let out an unhappy sigh. “Great, that means they still want to marry us.”

Magnus overhead their conversation and shifted uncomfortably in his saddle. He glanced towards the court yard and caught sight of the beautiful Princess Lydia. She was dressed in a beautiful blue gown that resembled the colour of the sky. She stood beside her mother, her blonde hair wrapped around her head in a tidy bun. She was beautiful, Magnus had to admit, but she would never make Alec truly happy. And if he was expected to marry her then Magnus’ time was almost up. As soon as they arrived in the court yard, he’d loose Alec to a beautiful rich princess. He swallowed hard and glanced down at his hands sadly. Things with Alec had only just started to work. But now it was going to be over before it ever really begun.

“You can always tell father you want a prettier girl” Isabelle snickered.

Alec gave her a pointed look. “Now that is just rude. She is pretty.”

“Then why are you so against marrying her?” Jace asked curiously, chiming in to the conversation.

“Because” Alec sighed, fiddling with the horse’s reigns. “I’m not in love with her.”

“You barely know her, Alec” Jace said. “Thats probably why you’re not in love with her.”

“Yeah” Alec said quietly. “Thats probably it.”

As they approached the court yard, they flung themselves off of their horses and straightened themselves up before reuniting with the King and Queen. King Robert stood beside his wife, Prince Max hovering at his side. He looked delighted and proud to see his children home. But at the same time, he looked as though he’d just walked out of hell. Queen Maryse smiled widely as her children came into view. Her eyes travelled from Isabelle to Jace and then to Alec, happy tears rolling down her cheeks. As the royal children approached their family, Magnus remained behind to tend to the horses. He had no right to approach the King and Queen, he was a nobody in their eyes. 

“My darlings!” Maryse squealed as she pulled each of her children in for a hug. “I am so so happy that you’re back! I have been so worried!”.

Jace winced as his step mother embraced him, causing her to panic and examine him from head to toe.

“What on earth is that matter?” she asked worriedly.

Jace opened his mouth to tell his step mother about the torture he went through. But just before he could get any words out, he thought better of it. He no longer desired the attention that his experience would bring him. He was just glad that he was home. So instead of explaining what had happened, he simply hugged his mother back and kissed her on the cheek. When they approached the King, Robert was more conserved with his excitement. He hugged his daughter, asking her a number of questions about why she’d leave for such a dangerous adventure. He admitted that he had been angry, but at the sight of her, all anger was washed away. With Jace and Alec, he stuck to handshakes, congratulating them on their efforts.

“I did nothing, really” Jace admitted. 

“Yeah, me either” Alec added.

“It was all Clary and Magnus” Isabelle sighed, glancing over her shoulder to point at Magnus. “Magnus poisoned Valentine’s meal so that Clary could kill him easily.”

Robert studied Magnus for a moment, trying to observe him properly from a distance. After a few moments of silent staring, he let out a quiet sigh and straightened up.

“Call him over then” he ordered. “He deserves some kind of reward I suppose.”

Isabelle spun around quickly and cupped her hands over her mouth. “Hey Magnus! Get over here!”.

Magnus looked up from petting his horse in surprise, glancing over at the royal family who were all staring at him with a mixture of expressions. Isabelle and Jace looked excited, Alec looked proud, King Michael looked nervous and Queen Maryse looked confused. Hesitating slightly, he made his way towards them, careful not to hunch his shoulders or look unprofessional in anyway. As he approached, the three royal children stepped aside to let him through. Magnus was never one to get nervous, but a one on two conversation with the King and Queen was definitely something that caused shivers to race up and down his spine. He bowed as he stood in front of them, flashing them his most charming smile.

“My children tell me you played a significant role in the assassination of King Valentine” Robert said as though it were a question. “That was very brave of you considering you weren’t even sent on this mission.”

“Father-“ Isabelle started, but Robert held up a hand to stop her.

“But considering the outcome of this mission, I’m glad you decided to” Robert went on.

Magnus smiled politely. “I’m glad I decided to as well, your majesty. I’ve learnt a lot.”

“I’m glad” Robert sighed. “What do you desire as your reward?”.

“Reward?” Magnus echoed.

“Reward” Robert confirmed.

What Magnus wanted to say was ‘ _your son_ ’, but that would just be asking for an execution. So instead, he simply shook his head and waved a dismissive hand at the King.

“I desire nothing, my lord” he said honestly. “My part in the assassination comes with no price.”

Robert raised a curious eyebrow. “Are you sure?”.

“Yes, I’m quite certain” Magnus smiled. “But I do thank you for the offer.”

“Well, thank you Magnus” Robert said with an uncertain smile. “Your actions will forever be remembered.”

Magnus bowed and stepped aside, relieved to join the others who stood by him. The King and Queen, as well as their youngest son Max, retreated into the castle followed by their guests. Alec, Isabelle, Jace and Magnus remained in the court yard, glancing in between each other wordlessly.

“We’re home” Jace said, smiling happy as he smelt the fresh air around them.

“We sure are” Isabelle smiled. “Home sweet home.”


	33. An End to all things New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so sorry this chapter has taken so long. I've been really busy and school's just starting back up again so updates will be less frequent I apologise. This isn't my best chapter - I hope you enjoy anyway :')

It had been two days since the royal return to the castle and Alec already found himself back to work with greedy salesmen and young knights in training. After a long morning working with talented swordsman in the making, he retreated into the archery arena where he’d teach young Stefan how to further enhance his archery skills. Stefan was the only knight in training who’d taken an interest in using a bow. Alec, seeing bits of himself in the boy, took him under his wing and promised to teach him everything he knew. 

“Now raise the bow with strong, firm arms” Alec instructed, standing by Stefan’s side to examine him carefully. 

Stefan did as he was told, positioning himself so that he was in the perfect striking position. He closed one eye and squinted with the other, all his attention fixated on the target standing thirty five metres away. Alec lifted Stefan’s elbow slightly and followed the young archer’s gaze.

“Pull the string back slowly” he went on. “Pull it back as mach as you can, and as much as you feel comfortable with.”

“How will I know if I’m comfortable with it or not?” Stefan asked as he did as instructed of him.

“Oh you’ll know” Alec smiled. 

Stefan pulled the string back as much as he felt comfortable with before taking a deep breath, waiting for Alec’s next instruction. 

“Check your aim” Alec instructed.

“Done” Stefan replied.

“Height.”

“Done.”

“Are you ready?”.

“Yes, my lord.”

“Then what are you waiting for? Shoot.”

Stefan flung the string forward and let the arrow sail through the air. They both watched in silence, the teacher and the student, waiting to see where the arrow would land. The arrow struck the target. Not quite in the centre, but good enough for Alec to congratulate Stefan with a pat on the back.

“Well done, Stefan” he smiled proudly. “You’ve definitely improved since the last time we met together.”

Stefan smiled and tucked the bow under his arm. “I practiced everyday while you were gone.”

“That practice has paid off” Alec noted. “I think you’ll be almost as good as me soon.”

“Don’t be daft” Stefan laughed. “You’re Alec Lightwood. No one is ever going to be better than you.”

Alec smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair. “I admire your confidence in me, Stefan.”

Stefan smiled and slid his bow back onto the stand. Due to the fact that his father despised archery, Stefan wasn’t allowed to own a bow of his own. Alec was nice enough to allow Stefan to use one of his own. Not many Princes would do that for a simple knight in training.

“I better go” Stefan sighed once the bow was back in its place. “My father will be expecting me soon.”

“Thats alright” Alec said as he tidied up the mess they’d made while training. “You did exceptionally well today, Stefan. You keep practicing, alright?”.

“Yes, my lord” Stefan bowed.

Without further due, Stefan turned around and started off towards the streets. Alec watched him go with a small smile before continuing with the clean up. He was proud to be Stefan’s teacher, he really did see some great potential in the boy. Not many people in the kingdom wanted to become archers. So when Alec met Stefan, it was like a gift sent from God.

“Thought I’d find you here with the bow and arrows” said a familiar voice from behind him.

Startled, Alec whirled around to see Magnus leaning lazily against a pilar only metres away from him. Alec hadn’t seen the magician since their farewell in the courtyard. In those two days, Alec had yearned to see his face and hear his voice. But now that Magnus was here, standing only metres across from him, he felt all strange and tingly inside. 

“How long have you been there?” he asked, alarmed.

“Not long” Magnus said, straightening up. “I passed by the little archer as I walked up here.”

“Right” Alec let out a long breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding. “What are you doing here?”.

“I came to see you” Magnus said simply.

Alec swallowed hard. “Why?”.

“What do you mean, _why?”_ Magnus asked with a small laugh. “Because I missed you, thats why.”

Alec said nothing as he slid the arrows he’d collected into their correct quiver. Magnus watched him curiously, unsure of why their was once again, tension between them. He’d assumed that everything between them was fine. But obviously, he was wrong. Alec slung a bow over his shoulder and stared at Magnus as if the other man was supposed to say something. But Magnus remained silent, trying to determine what it was exactly that went wrong between them. But the last time they had spoken, they’d seemed to be on good terms with one another. 

“Is something wrong, Alexander?” Magnus asked carefully.

“No” Alec said quickly. “How have you been? Did you manage to find a place to stay?”.

“Yes, as a matter of fact I did” Magnus replied. “I bought a house on Wilson street. It’s small, but very cosy.”

Alec nodded. “I’m glad that you’ve settled in well.”

“Would you like to come see what I’ve done with the place?” Magnus asked. “You know, maybe even have a few drinks?”.

Alec hesitated a moment, glancing behind his shoulder as if to make sure no one was listening to their conversation. Magnus, noticing Alec’s wariness, sighed.

“It’s just a few friendly drinks, Alexander” he said. “What do you say?”.

Alec knew that if he went back to the castle straight after training, he’d either be bombarded with inconvenient Prince-ly duties, or he’d be forced to ‘spend time’ with Lydia. He didn’t really feel like participating in any of those activities. So a few friendly drinks with Magnus in his new home wouldn’t hurt. 

“Okay” he said finally. “Sure.”

“Great” Magnus clapped his hands together excitedly and pulled the bow off of Alec’s shoulder. “You don’t need that anymore. Now follow me.”

 

**

 

Magnus wasn’t lying when he said his new house was small. It was probably the smallest house in the whole kingdom. It looked more like a shed than a house — probably why Magnus could afford it with the very little money he had. 

“You know” Alec started as he followed Magnus towards the front door. “If you asked for some money as your reward, you could have afforded a larger home.”

“I like this one” Magnus said defensively, wrapping his fingers around the door knob. “It’s cosy.”

“More like claustrophobic” Alec mumbled.

They entered the house slowly, Alec quick to gasp at the decorations that littered the walls. Magnus smiled widely as Alec took in the golden antiques and the expensive jewellery that filled the living room. A red and gold mat allowed the living room to feel more spacious and a fire place to keep it cosy. 

“How did you afford all this?” Alec asked with wide eyes.

“Bought a cheap house, then spent my money on decorations” Magnus replied simply.

Alec nodded slowly, his lips parted in surprise. “I take it you enjoy the best things in life.”

“Gold and riches are not just for you royal blood and Kings” Magnus said with a small laugh. “Anyway, what would you like to drink?”.

“Uh, just water thank you” Alec said.

“Just water?” Magnus raised an eyebrow. “Surely, there must be some sort of alcohol substance you wish to drown yourself with.”

It was Alec’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “It’s a little to early for alcohol isn’t it?”.

“It’s happy hour somewhere, my lord” Magnus smirked, and he wandered towards his kitchen and pulled out a large bottle of wine. “How about this? Something less…exotic.”

Alec shrugged. “It’s not water…but it will do.”

Magnus smirked and poured two glasses of red wine. He could feel Alec watching him, the burning of his gaze piercing into his soul. He lifted the two glasses and carefully handed one to the hesitant, yet eager looking Prince. If Magnus hadn’t gotten to know Alec under the circumstances that they did — he would have assumed that the Prince had multiple personalities. One minute, he was reserved and unapproachable, then the next he was playful and happy. 

“Thanks” Alec said as he took the wine of glass appreciatively. 

Magnus smiled and gestured to the lounge that peered over the fire place. “Shall we take a seat?”.

Alec shrugged and followed Magnus’ gaze. The lounge was small, but just long enough to fit two people. Magnus looked eager to sit on it, which made Alec feel a little hesitant. Despite his hesitance, he was the first to sit down, gripping onto his glass tightly in order to keep the wine from pouring all over the place. As soon as he was seated, Magnus dived onto the couch and flung his legs onto the coffee table in front of them.

“Your house manners are…fascinating” Alec commented thoughtlessly.

Magnus raised an eyebrow. “I like to think of my personality as fascinating…not my house manners.”

“Oh well” Alec said with a small smile. “Your personality is a close second.”

Magnus laughed. “You’re quite the comedian, Alexander. Did you know that?”.

“Not many people think I’m funny” Alec admitted. “And neither do I.”

“Everyone’s a little funny” Magnus smiled. “Sometimes even when they’re not trying to be.”

Alec shrugged. “If you say so.”

Magnus took a sip of his wine and lay back in his seat. Alec did not copy the gesture, instead, he remained sitting straight with his jaw clenched. Magnus could tell that something — though Alec would never admit it — was eating away at the unsettled Prince. He continuously looked as though he were distracted by his own wandering mind. 

“So how’s everything up in the castle?” Magnus asked. “Is it nice to be back?”.

“Yes of course” Alec replied. “It’s uh, It’s just how it used to be.”

“Except it isn’t though, is it?” Magnus questioned.

Alec glanced sideways at Magnus and raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me? What?”.

“Oh, you know, your marriage to Lydia” Magnus said, his voice surprisingly steady. 

Alec tensed noticeably and turned away. “You shouldn’t even know about that. And-and I haven’t even proposed yet so it’s not like it’s going to happen.”

“Right” Magnus said bitterly. “So you don’t plan on marrying her? Even if your kingdom needs it?”.

“What do you want me to say, Magnus?” Alec snapped, standing up so that he could have his own personal space away from the magician. “J-just mind your own business.”

“I’m just saving myself” Magnus said defensively.

Alec scoffed. “From what?”.

“A broken heart” Magnus said. 

Alec swallowed hard and lowered his gaze. “We were never going to be together anyway. What happened between us — it remains behind us. It was…you…”.

“What?” Magnus urged. “Say what you want to, Alexander. You may as well.”

Alec shook his head. “I have to go. I should have never come here.”

“Alec-“ Magnus started, but Alec was already making his way out the door before he could finish his sentence.

With the front door slammed shut and Alec’s wine glass spilt on the floor, Magnus threw his own cup against the wall loudly. That was it. That’s how he and the Prince would end. An argument with no real purpose except for broken hearts and shattered hopes. Magnus knew he was being harsh by suddenly questioning Alec about his supposed marriage, but he wasn’t willing to let it go unsaid. If anything was going to happen between them, it couldn’t be if Alec was married. For Magnus wasn’t willing to pursue a relationship with a married man. 


	34. The Heart Wanders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 34, hope you enjoy :')

Isabelle had been brushing her hair in front of the mirror when Alec bursted into her room without any form of invitation. Normally, she would have yelled at him to get out and give a woman her rightfully owned privacy. But when she caught sight of the downcast look on her big brother’s face, her anger and annoyance soon converted to worry and concern. He walked straight towards Isabelle’s neatly made bed and dumped himself onto it with a loud sigh. Isabelle knew, that when her brother came to her like this, something terrible must have happened. The only other time he’d ever shown up in her room looking flustered and angry was two years ago when he and Jace had had a massive argument. But this time, Alec looked more upset than angry. Slowly, Isabelle put down her hair brush and carefully approached her brother. 

“Alec?” she asked softly, taking a seat beside him. “What’s wrong? What happened?”.

Alec leaned forward so that his elbows could rest comfortably against his knees. His eyes were a darker shade of blue — the blue that at first glance almost looked black. This was a clear indicator that Alec was distressed, caught up in a troubled situation that he didn’t know how to handle. Isabelle knew that from experience, Alec only ever let someone help him once he finally realised that he wouldn’t be able to help himself. 

“I can’t-“ Alec started, but then paused for a moment, swallowing hard. “I know that tonight at dinner mother is going to ask me to propose to Lydia. But I-I don’t want to, Iz. I don’t want to marry her. She’s lovely and I’m sure she’d make a wonderful wife — j-just not for me.”

Isabelle nodded slowly and took a deep breath. “You don’t have to, Alec. There are plenty of other ways to form the alliance between New Yorkshire and Idris. Marriage is just…easier.”

“Yeah…” Alec sighed. “Easier for everyone except the ones who have to marry.”

“What happened?” Isabelle asked softly. “What brought this about? No one’s mentioned the marriage at all.”

“Magnus did” Alec said without thinking. 

Isabelle raised an eyebrow but quickly lowered it once she caught sight of Alec’s horrified expression. She quickly realised that she was now venturing into very sensitive areas with her big brother. 

“Magnus did, did he?” she asked without judgement. “How did he find out? No one knows other than the families. Did you tell him?”.

Alec shrugged tiredly and buried his head in his hands. He hated looking so vulnerable in front of his sister, but if he was to look like this in front of anyone, he’d much prefer it to be Isabelle than Jace. Isabelle wrapped one arm around her brother and rubbed his back soothingly, trying her best to both calm Alec down, and hold back all the questions that stung at her throat. She had so many burning questions racing through her mind, but she knew that bombarding Alec with questions would not help him open up at all. Instead, he’d just get angry and upset and walk away. Isabelle did not want that at all.

“When did you see Magnus?” she asked quietly. “I haven’t seen him around lately. I had feared he may have left.”

“Just now” Alec said in a voice so soft, it was barely audible. “He invited me over to see his new home.”

“Oh” Isabelle said, struggling to keep her voice neutral. “Is it nice?”.

Alec shrugged. “I think you’d like it.”

Isabelle smiled and removed her hand from around Alec, nudging him playfully in the shoulder in an attempt to cheer him up. But his frown remained. Sighing, she thought of another question she could ask without scaring him off. 

“So you and Magnus must have been having a deep conversation if the wedding was brought up” Isabelle noted anxiously. “What were you talking about?”.

“Nothing” Alec said quickly. “Well…we hadn’t ventured too far into the conversation before he bluntly brought it up. Who does that? Who just randomly brings up a wedding that they’re not even supposed to know about?”.

Isabelle shrugged. “Maybe someone who is concerned about it.”

“He’s just nosy” Alec said as though Isabelle hadn’t said a word. “He wants to know EVERYTHING about me. We barely know each other. And even when we first met — he was so desperate to know every little thing about me. It takes time.”

“Well did you give him enough time?” Isabelle asked honestly. “Or have you already walked away?”.

Alec gave her a suspicious sideways glance. “What are you talking about?”.

“You know…” she started, swaying side to side nervously. “You and Magnus, your relationship is awfully strange. One minute you’re angry with him, the next, you’re happy. It’s just…confusing thats all.”

Alec shook his head, his shoulders and back tensing noticeably. “Magnus and I are just…we’re not even friends. We’re just…just…”.

“Just what?” Isabelle urged. 

“Nothing” Alec said a little harshly. “Why are you asking me this? What are you thinking?!”.

“I’m asking you because you’re clearly upset about something” she said. “I care about you Alec, I do.”

“I know” Alec sighed, fumbling with his fingers. “I just…I’m confused and scared. Scared…Isabelle.”

Isabelle wrapped both her arms around Alec and rested her head on his shoulder. She could tell that Alec was scared, more scared than he’d ever been before. It seemed that the Prince of New Yorkshire was more afraid of his heart than any war that could ever plague his kingdom.

“You care about him, don’t you?” she whispered softly, soothing Alec with her gentle touch.

Alec took a deep, shaky breath. “Y-you…you don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Alec…I’m not blind or stupid” Isabelle sighed. “I know that you’re attracted to men. You’re a-“.

“I’M NOT!” Alec shouted, standing up so quickly that Isabelle didn’t even have time to stop him. “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT…WHAT YOU’RE SAYING.”

“Alec-“ Isabelle started, but Alec was too hysterical to let her finish her sentence.

“YOU’RE SUGGESTING SOMETHING SO PREPOSTEROUS!” he continued. “I’M NOT A PERVERT OR SINNER. I AM THE FUTURE KING OF NEW YORKSHIRE AND I WILL NOT LISTEN TO YOUR SENSELESS ACCUSATION!”.

“Alec, I’m not accusing you of anything!” Isabelle insisted. “I’m your little sister — I love you. Please just calm down. It’s okay — everything is okay.”

Alec kicked up a floorboard and tossed it across the room so that it smashed against Isabelle’s closet. He shouted inaudible phrases and Isabelle was left speechless as she watched him. Alec was normally the kind of man who kept his anger locked up inside of him — concealed in the depth of his wandering heart. But his actions now truly showed what he hid behind his masked expression. 

“I’M NOT A SINNER!” he shouted again. “I’LL PROVE IT TO YOU!”.

“Alec-“ Isabelle started, but before she could finish, Alec was out the door.

 

**

 

The dinner table was quite somber as Isabelle snuck nervous glances in Alec’s direction. He was drinking more wine than he was consuming meat. The King and Queen ate happily as they made conversation with the Queen of Idris. They barely noticed the awkwardness surrounding the other members of the family. Princess Lydia sat in between Alec and Jace, separating them with her beautiful blonde hair that trailed down her back. Jace had taken an interest in her for a few minutes before he remembered that his heart belonged to someone else. Someone he probably would never see again. Isabelle sat across from Alec and next to her little brother Max while she quietly ate. Eventually, she started up a conversation that would banish the silence.

“So what did you do today, Lydia?” she asked politely.

Lydia swallowed the piece of meat she’d been chewing on and looked up at Isabelle’s polite expression. Isabelle and Lydia barely communicated, and when they did, Lydia had always got the impression that the young Princess of New Yorkshire did not approve of her. But now, with a noticeable awkwardness surrounding them, Isabelle looked genuinely interested to know what Lydia had been doing during the day.

“I tended to the sick at the new hospital your parents have been building in the lower towns” Lydia replied with a satisfied smile. “It’s really nice to see the people in your lower towns get the help they rightfully deserve. Maybe your kingdom is on the way to being just like Idris.”

“Thats wonderful” Isabelle said, biting her tongue so that she did not snap at Lydia for proposing that Idris was a better kingdom than New Yorkshire. “What about you, Jace?”.

Jace looked up in surprise and shrugged. “Trained the knights…played with Max…thats about it.”

“Interesting” Isabelle said as she took a sip of wine.

“Why haven’t you asked me or Alec?” Max complained as he played with the vegetables on his plate.

Lydia and Jace both looked between Alec and Isabelle curiously before resting their gaze on little Max. 

“Alec is a little grumpy right now” Isabelle sighed. “And you’ve already told me what you’ve done today, Max. Remember?”.

“Oh yeahhhhh” Max smiled. “You called me a little devil!”.

Isabelle ruffled her little brother’s hair and laughed. She snuck another glance in Alec’s direction, catching him watching his siblings with sad yet narrowed eyes. As soon as their eyes met however, Alec looked away instantly and drowned another glass of wine down his throat. 

“I think you’ve had enough of that, Alec” the King said quietly as he caught Alec pouring himself another drink. “If you’re thirsty, you could summon the servants to bring you some water.”

Alec rolled his eyes and continued to pour himself some wine. “I’ve haaaaaardly had enough. Besides, water is to bland to have with this delicioussssss meal!”.

“Alec, what is wrong with you?” Maryse asked, looking astounded. “You’re behaving inappropriately!”.

“I’m sorry mother, but I’ve discovered the divine taste of wine” Alec said with a small smile. 

“Let the boy have some wine” the Queen of Idris said with an amused smile. “A man needs his daily dose of alcoholic consumption.”

“With all due respect, your highness” Maryse said with a forced smile. “He is my son and I don’t approve of his alcoholic consumption. He’s never drank like this before. That is my concern.”

“After the busy few days he spent in Valentine’s kingdom, I’m sure it is perfectly reasonable for the Prince Alec to want to consume certain substances” the Queen of Idris argued, her eyes cold but her smile bemused. 

“Like I said” Maryse said firmly. “He is _my_ son.”

“Enough!” Alec snapped, standing up while tapping his knife against his glass. “I have an announcement to make.”

He met Isabelle’s eyes from across the table and Isabelle knew, that whatever ‘announcement’ Alec was about to make, would be his way of proving to her that he is not a “sinner” and is not ‘attracted to men’. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and closed her eyes for a brief moment. With all the attention fixed on Alec, the young Prince lowered his glass and turned around to face Princess Lydia who was seated beside him. 

“Alec, what are you doing buddy?” Jace asked nervously.

Alec ignored him, lowering himself to the ground to kneel on one knee. Everyone in the room gasped, staring at Alec with wide eyes as he cleared his throat. He was looking up at an astounded looking Lydia, his eyes dark and fixed on her soft pink lips. He needed something to focus on to hide his nerves — but Lydia’s lips only seemed to talk him out of what he was about to do. 

“Lydia Branwell, Princess of Idris” Alec started, his voice surprisingly even. “Will you marry me, Alec Lightwood, Prince of New Yorkshire?”.

Surprised, Lydia glanced in between Alec and her mother. While Alec looked serious and determined, the Queen of Idris was nodding at Lydia eagerly, indirectly demanding her to accept Alec’s proposal. Isabelle wanted to protest, but she knew her place and knew that Alec had made his decision. It was going to happen anyway. There was no point pro-longing it. 

“I-I yes” Lydia smiled, holding out her hand to help Alec up off of the ground. “I, Lydia Branwell accept your marriage proposal.”

Alec smiled despite the emptiness he felt in his heart. Turning around to present his new fiancé to his parents, he was greeted by two very different expressions. The Queen — his mother — looked more than surprised. She’d had her mind set on the fact that it would take a lot for her to convince her son to propose to Lydia. But she hadn’t spoken to him about it at all. Yet, here they were. The King looked surprised, however, he was more proud than anything. He’d been preparing for this union - this alliance - for years. With Alec and Lydia’s marriage would come so many new opportunities for both Idris and New Yorkshire. 

“Congratulations!” Robert beamed, stepping forward to shake his son’s hand. “You two will make great leaders.”

Alec smiled at his father’s congratulation, but before any joy could sweep through him, Isabelle kicked back her chair and stormed out of the room. If Alec wasn’t so flustered and surprised at his own actions, he probably would have been worried. But he assumed she was just angry with him for his proposal. Not everyone was going to be proud of him — he’d learned long ago to accept that.


	35. One Last Chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, guys. This is it. This is the last chapter of part 1 of my ward of darkness series. Though the ending might not be what you want it to be, it is important for the possible part 2 that I may ((if its wanted)) write. I hope you've guys enjoyed this slow building fanfic because I know that I've really enjoyed writing it. If you want a part 2 where malec is more definant, comment below! I really want to write a part 2 but I won't do it if nobody wants it. Like, I don't know about you, but I really want Malec to work their shit out. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this last chapter :')

The sun was set and the lower towns were closing up for the night. This, however, did not stop Isabelle from finding her way towards Magnus’ new home. She went down almost every street and every alleyway until she found the small home belonging to the magician. She knocked three times, keeping it clear and formal, trying very hard to leave her desperation out the window. After a few silent moments of waiting, the door swung open to reveal a tired yet cheerful looking Magnus. Well — his smile was cheerful anyway. 

“My lady, what can I do for you?” he asked welcomingly.

“More like what you can do for my brother” Isabelle replied.

Magnus opened his mouth to question her statement, but Isabelle shut him up with the simple wave of her hand. She invited herself inside, kicking the door shut behind her so that no ongoing viewers could witness the favour she was about to ask of Magnus. 

“Your brother left quite a mess last time he was here” Magnus sighed once he realised that Isabelle would be staying for a while. “I’m not sure why you think there is anything I can do for him.”

“I know about his feelings for you” Isabelle told him firmly. “Don’t even try to deny it. And if my intuition is right, I think you feel the exact same way about him.”

Magnus again opened his mouth to question her, but Isabelle was quick to shut him up.

“I love my brother and I’ll support him no matter what” she went on. “So, no, I’m not disgusted or against him for what feelings he has for you.”

“Then he’s lucky to have you” Magnus said hesitantly. 

“But he’s made a big mistake” Isabelle sighed, pacing the room in front of Magnus’ fire place. “To prove to me that he was not queer…he proposed to Lydia.”

Magnus tensed slightly and swallowed hard. He already knew that the wedding was not just a ‘possibility’ — it was going to happen. But Alec showed no sign of wanting that marriage to come quicker at all. But here the Princess was, telling him that her brother had proposed and it was more than likely that Lydia had said yes.

“I’m sure your parents are delighted” was all that Magnus could manage to say without toppling over.

“They are, yes” Isabelle admitted. “But I’m not. Alec’s not. And I know that you are not either.”

Magnus shrugged and turned away so that Isabelle could not see his expression. “It’s not up to me, I’m afraid. It was Alec’s decision to propose to Lydia at this particular time. And if thats what he wants. Then so be it.”

“But it’s not what he wants!” Isabelle insisted. “He was doing it to supposedly prove that he wasn’t queer! He doesn’t want this marriage, he told me so himself. And I know that deep down, you know that I’m telling you the truth. Alec’s not the most emotional man you’ll ever meet, but his emotions exploded this morning when I confronted him about his feelings for _you_!”.

Magnus stiffened noticeably and he turned back around. “What do you want from me, Isabelle?”.

“I want you to save my brother” she whispered, her voice finally resembling the sadness in her eyes. “He won’t listen to anyone. Not me, no one. But if you just talked to him, one last time it would-“.

“I’ve tried, Isabelle” Magnus interrupted her, shaking his head. “I’ve tried countless times before. He’s stubborn and quite frankly — I don’t have time to waste on someone like him.”

“If you really felt that way, you would have given up on him the first time you met” Isabelle sighed.

Magnus lowered his gaze towards the ground and glared down at his feet. His heart still longed for Alec despite the warning signs his brain was trying to communicate to him. The way he felt towards Alec, it was nothing like he’d ever felt before. Not even for Camille — who’d Magnus previously thought was the love of his life. Alec was different. And despite Alec’s continual efforts to push him away, Magnus was still falling in love with him. Their few moments spent together — without restraint or withdrawal — were the best few moments of Magnus’ life. When they kissed, nothing in the world seemed to matter. Magnus yearned for that feeling again. A feeling he’d only ever feel if he was in Alec’s arms. 

“This is your one last chance” Isabelle said quietly. “Don’t throw it away.”

“I cannot guarantee that he’ll change his mind” Magnus sighed. “But I am willing to fight for him. For us.”

Isabelle smiled and threw her arms up in the air excitedly. Magnus watched with raised eyebrows as the young princess jumped up and down whilst squealing with an almost inhuman sound. 

“Okay, okay, calm down” Magnus said with a small smile. “You’ll have to tell me where I can find him.”

“His chambers” Isabelle said once she’d calmed down. “And if he’s not there, try the roof of the castle. I know that sometimes when he’s upset he sits up there.”

 

**

 

Just as Isabelle had guessed, Alec wasn’t in his chambers. That left Magnus with only one other option as to where the young Prince could be. The roof of the castle. Magnus didn’t know much about the structure of the castle, but whenever he found a staircase leading upwards, he quickly assumed that it lead to the roof. Once he’d reached the final step, he could feel the cold night’s breeze brush against his skin. It felt a little too bit windy for Magnus to feel comfortable being on the highest point of the kingdom. But when he caught sight of Alec sitting at the edge, his legs dangling off the side without any support underneath, all his fears vanished to nothing. Slowly, he approached Alec, searching his head for something appropriate to say. But his mind went blank as soon as he stood behind Alec, his loud and fearful breathing clear to hear over the sound of the wind. Alec, despite knowing someone was there, did not turn around. 

“You know, I always assumed you were the type of man who’d be afraid of heights” Magnus said light heartedly, trying to ease himself into the conversation.

He nervously glanced down over the edge of the castle and almost instantly felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Before he could trip over his feet and topple over the edge, he plopped himself onto the cement and sat down beside the silent Prince. Despite the fact that Alec looked as white as a ghost, the night’s cold wind seemed to have coloured his cheeks a bright red. He said nothing of Magnus’ statement and continued to stare out onto the silent and peaceful kingdom. Magnus followed his gaze and sighed, trying to find out what it was exactly about the view that captured all of Alec’s attention. Sure, the night sky looked beautiful as the moon shone over the kingdom. But the night looked that way every night. What was it about it on this night that seemed to mesmerise him? 

“It’s a rather cold night, isn’t it?” Magnus asked, trying again for a fresh start to the conversation. “Windy too. Maybe the highest point on the castle isn’t the best choice of seating.”

“You could always leave” Alec pointed out.

“And he speaks” Magnus said cheerfully despite Alec’s negative tone. “I was beginning to think that the wind had stolen your voice.”

“What are you doing here, Magnus?” Alec asked tiredly. “And how did you find me? I presume Isabelle had something to do with it.”

“Your sister? Oh no, not at all” Magnus lied. “She’s an innocent little petal that one.”

Alec scoffed and released a small, but clear smile. “I know for a fact that my sister is not an innocent little petal.”

“Well, you’d know best” Magnus said as he observed Alec’s smile. “But yes, Isabelle did convince me to come here. But thats only because she cares about you. A lot. And she doesn’t care about…you know…”.

Alec nodded and shifted uncomfortably in his seated position. “I’m lucky to have her as a sister. To be honest, I don’t think I deserve her.”

“You deserve a lot more than you think” Magnus pointed out. “A smack over the head being one of them.”

Alec laughed. “I’m sure many people would be eager to do that. Including you, I suppose.”

“Only if it’ll wake you up” Magnus said with a small shrug. “But I’m almost certain it’ll take more than that.”

“I take it Isabelle told you about my proposal then” Alec sighed as his smile quickly faded.

Magnus nodded. “Yeah…she did.”

Alec lowered his gaze and fiddled with his fingers in order to distract himself from the words that wracked around inside his head. There were so many things he wanted to say, but whether they were a good idea or not, Alec was unsure. He’d assumed that his last conversation with Magnus had ended what ever they had going on between them. But clearly, it hadn’t. Thats why Magnus was now seated next to him on the highest point of the castle. 

“I’m marrying Lydia” Alec told him firmly. “I’ve already proposed, I can’t go back now.”

“You could always say you made a mistake” Magnus suggested.

Alec shook his head. “It’s not as simple as that. I wish it was…but it’s not.”

“So…you’re just going to marry Lydia and spend the rest of your life alone and unhappy?” Magnus asked.

“Many men and women have suffered through it in the past” Alec said bitterly. “I’m sure I’ll have no trouble doing the exact same. In fact, I was doing fine until you came along.”

Alec may have intended that comment to be insulting, but Magnus took it in a completely different way. He took it as Alec’s confession that he did, indeed, have some sort of feelings for him. 

“Alec…I know you think that you have to marry for the kingdom-“ Magnus started, but Alec was quick to interrupt him.

“I don’t _think!”_ Alec snapped. “I _know._ I know what I have to do and I’m not going to sacrifice the survival of the kingdom for a shot at love. I’m sorry.”

Magnus sighed defeatedly and glared down at the ground that sat 100 ft beneath them. The cool air continued to brush against his skin and send chills bristling down his spine. If he wasn’t so high up, maybe the wind in the air wouldn’t have bothered him. But he was high up — and his heart was breaking. He snuck one last glance in Alec’s directions before speaking. 

“I’m giving you one last chance, Alec” he said. “After tonight, we’re over. I can’t — I can’t wait forever.”

Alec took a deep breath and met Magnus’ gaze. He could see it in the other man’s eyes that he was dead serious. No more games. No more mixed messages. This was it. This was either the end — or the beginning. What he wanted to say, he could not. And what he didn’t want to say — he knew he must. 

“I’m sorry, Magnus” he whispered. “But I-I-I must do what it is right for the kingdom. I have to marry Lydia. Besides, you deserve better. I’ll never be able to be the man you’d like me to be. There’s someone else out there for you, someone who’ll be able to love you without always having to hide. That's who you should be with. Not me.”

Magnus sniffled the air and shook his head knowingly. Deep down, he’d always known it would end like this. But every little inch and every little spec of him wanted Alec to forget his duties to the kingdom and give Magnus a chance. But Alec was the Prince and future King of New Yorkshire — things weren’t as simple as Magnus liked to believe. 

“Well” he started, shuffling backwards so that he could stand up. “I wish you all the luck in the world, Alexander. I hope that your marriage to Lydia is…comfortable.”

Alec closed his eyes for a brief moment before looking up at Magnus. “Yeah…same to you. Not that you’re getting married to Lydia, I meant the luck part, you know, for t-the f-future.”

“Yes, I gathered that” Magnus smiled sadly. “I’ll see you around then, I guess.”

Alec nodded. “Yeah, I guess.”

Silently, Magnus walked away. It felt wrong to just walk away from the one man he’d such strong feelings for. But Alec had made his decision. Magnus had tried his best to fight for love — but love just wasn’t an option. They had their very few moments together, and Magnus knew that he’d never be able to forget them. Once he made his way down the staircase, he was greeted by an anxious looking Isabelle. Magnus hadn’t realised she’d followed him, nor how long she’d been down their waiting.

“Well?” she asked.

Magnus shook his head. “He’ll be marrying the Princess Lydia, I’m afraid.”

“Oh Magnus” Isabelle frowned. “I’m sorry.”

Magnus gave her his most convincing smile. “It’s quite alright, my lady. At least Alec and I left on better terms this time. If it wasn’t for you convincing me — we’d still be on very awkward terms.”

“I can’t believe he’s doing this to himself” Isabelle sighed. “And to you.”

Magnus placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “He’s not doing it to hurt himself or me. He’s just doing it for the Kingdom. And though I hate everything about it — I respect him for that. And I always will.”

“You’re a good man, Magnus Bane” Isabelle smiled. “You would have been perfect for my brother.”

 

**

 

Jace wandered down the halls tiredly as he made his way back towards his chambers. The whole proposal thing between Alec and Lydia had kept him stuck in the dining room until the King and Queen let him retire. It involved many congratulations and a boring conversation about the wedding celebrations. With both Alec and Isabelle gone — he was stuck trying to make small talk with Lydia. Winding down another staircase, he passed by a young guard who greeted him with a small nod.

“How long have you got left?” Jace asked him politely.

The guard glanced out the window behind him quickly before replying. “About ten minutes actually.”

“Well lucky you then” Jace chuckled. “Good night.”

“Good night, sire” the guard replied.

Jace continued down the hall tiredly, passing every room until he met his own. Just as he was about to open his bedroom door, he heard a loud crashing sound from down the hall. Whipping his head to the side, he caught sight of a dark cloaked figure hovering over the guard he’d only just passed moments before.

“Hey!” he shouted, racing down the hall.

The cloaked figure glanced up in surprise before disappearing down the stairs. Jace called out for more guards, but none of them seemed to be around. The guard lay face first on the ground, pools of blood circling his lifeless body. Jace crouched down beside him and turned the body over, wincing at the sliced throat that ended his life. There was a tear in the guard’s clothing, revealing a blood covered chest. At first, Jace thought the blood on the guard’s chest were just slashed skin. But with closer inspection, he quickly realised it was a message written in blood. The message read, _Revenge will come. This is only the beginning. Kind regards, Sebastian Morgenstern._ With his jaw set and his eyes wide, Jace glanced down the staircase to where the cloaked figure had made his escape.

“GUARDS!” he shouted. “SOUND THE WARNING BELL!”.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my new medieval fanfic which is a little different from my others. Hope you enjoy! If you like it, please leave a comment and let me know if you want me to continue :')


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